This morning, as usual, thousands of visitors flocked to the heart of the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre, to (re)discover the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. But nothing foreshadowed the spectacular burglary that was to take place on the morning of Sunday, October 19. After the theft, the museum was immediately evacuated and closed to the public “for exceptional reasons”. For Stéphane Bern, a.k.a. “Monsieur Patrimoine”, the event was “a terrible failure” in terms of security. He deplores the fact that this burglary “will be a blow to the morale of the French people”.
A “priceless” haul stolen from the sumptuous Galerie d’Apollon
But what did the targeted showcases contain? And how many pieces were stolen on Sunday, October 19, 2025? Among the nine objects stolen from the Galerie d’Apollon were an ornament, a necklace, earrings, a brooch and two crowns, including that of Empress Eugénie, found damaged outside the museum. Nine pieces of “priceless value”, according to the experts. Despite the seriousness of the event, François, a guide at the Louvre for 24 years, is delighted that the famous Regent diamond, weighing over 140 carats, was not stolen, as reported in Le Parisien.
And what about the Galerie d’Apollon at the Musée du Louvre? What do we know about it?An architectural gem decorated by the greatest French artists (Le Brun, Lagrenée, Delacroix), it is a symbol of royal splendor. It even inspired the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles. Originally designed as a reception gallery for Louis XIV, the Galerie d’Apollon now houses the treasures of the kings of France. A sumptuous setting, now marked by this intrusion…
What is the story behind Empress Eugénie’s crown, the damaged survivor of the Louvre burglary on Sunday October 19?
Among the emblematic objects targeted, the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, was found damaged on the outskirts of the museum. A true historical jewel, it impresses with its 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. Created by goldsmith Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier for the 1855 Universal Exhibition, it bears witness to the splendor of the Second Empire.
This exceptional piece, which the thieves abandoned in their flight, reveals eight eagle-shaped arches in chased gold. The other arches form palmettes adorned with diamonds, including a large central diamond. Each palmette is framed by two emeralds, while the whole converges on a diamond globe encircled by emeralds, surmounted by a cross composed of six brilliants (a detail specified by the Louvre itself). In a way, this crown is the survivor of a robbery as tragic as it was dazzling, carried out in just a few minutes.
The last recorded theft from the Musée du Louvre dates back to 1998, when a painting by French painter Camille Croit was stolen in broad daylight. To date, the work has never been found…