The crown, part of a set of nine royal jewels, was dropped or abandoned as the thieves made their getaway. The remaining eight pieces, including items once owned by Napoleon III’s wife, Queen Marie-Amélie, and Empress Marie Louise, are still unaccounted for.
Inside Job Under Investigation
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of inside assistance. “We are still determining whether a source inside the Louvre may have had a role in the theft,” a police spokesperson told Le Monde. Digital forensics teams are reportedly examining museum staff communications and security system logs for irregularities.
The Louvre Museum, one of the world’s most visited cultural landmarks, has since transferred many of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
Louvre Museum Heist: An International Case
With suspects connected to multiple countries and stolen treasures potentially trafficked abroad, French police have coordinated with Interpol to track leads in North Africa and Western Europe.
