Louvre Museum Robbery: How Thieves Broke In and What They Stole
Thieves in balaclavas broke into Paris' Louvre, the world's most-visited museum, and stole priceless objects from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes.
The thieves pulled up outside the Louvre on Sunday morning, October 19, 2025, on a road along the Seine river, and climbed an extendable ladder to break into an upper window that looks into the Galerie d’Apollon, or Apollo Gallery.
The thieves struck at about 9:30 a.m. when the museum had already opened its doors to the public, and entered the Galerie d’Apollon building. The robbery took between six to seven minutes and was carried out by four people who were unarmed, but who threatened the guards with angle grinders.
A total of nine objects were targeted by the criminals, and eight were actually stolen. The thieves lost the ninth one, the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, during their escape.
The crown of Empress Eugenie was found outside the museum. The thieves apparently dropped the piece, made of gold, emerald and diamonds, as they made their getaway.
The Break-In Method
A 3D view of the Louvre museum complex shows the Gallery of Apollo highlighted. It illustrates the location of the truck with elevator platform that the thieves used to break into the upper window of the Apollo Gallery and the window they broke in through.
Members of a forensic team inspected a window believed to have been used in the jewellery robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, on October 19, 2025. People walked near a crane believed to have been used in the robbery. Police officers worked near the crane at the scene.
Police and forensic teams inspected a crane and a window believed to have been used in the robbery at the Louvre museum during which jewellery was stolen, as pedestrians passed nearby, in Paris, France, October 19, 2025.
Jewels Stolen
The following eight pieces were stolen.
