Several robbers enter the Louvre through a freight elevator and steal several jewels before fleeing on scooters.

The Louvre Museum has temporarily closed its doors following the theft of nine jewels belonging to Napoleon and the Empress on Sunday morning. The thieves entered the museum by breaking a window on the façade overlooking the Seine River, taking advantage of the renovation work being carried out. "A theft took place this morning during the opening of the museum," Culture Minister Rachida Dati reported on her X account. Meanwhile, the Louvre warned that it was closing its doors to visitors "for exceptional reasons."

According to initial reports, the thieves used a forklift to break into the museum at 9:30 a.m. before it opened to the public, and went directly to the Apollo Gallery , where the jewels of Napoleon and the Empress were on display.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that the jewels are of "incalculable value" and confirmed that the theft was possibly carried out by three or four people. The thieves apparently fled the museum using the same route before security guards could notice the absence of at least nine valuable pieces. The investigation suggests that the thieves chose their target carefully and were familiar with the building's security systems.

In a lightning assault that lasted just seven minutes, according to the Interior Minister, and four minutes according to the Culture Minister, three thieves arrived on a motorcycle at the Louvre's facade, which sits next to the Seine River and was undergoing renovations. They used a forklift to ascend to the first floor. After breaking the windows, they entered the Apollo Hall and stole priceless jewelry. Once they had the loot, they left through the same place they entered and fled on the same scooter.

According to Le Parisien, after breaking the windows, two hooded men entered, while a third remained outside as a lookout. The thieves stole nine pieces from Napoleon and the Empress's jewelry collection, including a necklace, a brooch, and a diadem. These pieces were in the display cases dedicated to Napoleon and the French Sovereigns.

Interior Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that one of the jewels had been recovered "in the vicinity of the museum." According to Le Parisien, it was Empress Eugénie's crown, which was broken during the robbery. Dati asserted that the theft of the jewels took only four minutes and that the perpetrators were likely "professionals." The minister acknowledged that the necessary measures to prevent thefts in major French museums have not been adopted over the past four decades.

An insider at the Louvre Museum claims that the famous Régent , the largest diamond in the collection, weighing more than 140 carats, has not been stolen.

The thieves accessed the Apolo gallery's windows directly from the outside using a hydraulic platform mounted on a truck, according to the Minister of the Interior. An electric scooter allegedly used by the thieves was found by police at the scene of the theft.

"We will use all means at our disposal to recover the loot," the Paris prefecture warned in a statement. The theft, meanwhile, caused a political uproar, led by Jodan Bardella, president of the National Rally. "The Louvre is a global symbol of our culture," Bardella declared. "What happened is an unbearable humiliation for our country."

Police have evacuated the entrance courtyard to the pyramid museum, and Interior Minister Laurent Núñez also arrived at the scene and confirmed that there were no injuries. "It was necessary to evacuate people, primarily to preserve traces and clues so that investigators could work safely," he stated. "The evacuation of the public was carried out without incident," the Interior Ministry explained.

Núñez also reported that "jewelry of inestimable heritage and historical value" was stolen and that the attack "lasted seven minutes." "It was planned, and they used floppy disks to cut the windows," the Interior Minister added.

"It's clear that we're dealing with Arsène Lupin. Up until now, it's been a film script. It's hard to imagine it's so easy to steal from the Louvre," declared Paris Mayor Ariel Weil , who said he was "astonished" and "shocked" by the incident.

The Louvre, the world's most popular museum (with more than eight million visitors a year), has suffered dozens of thefts throughout its history. The most notorious of all was the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911, when a former museum employee (Vicenzo Peruggia) managed to steal the rolled-up canvas under his coat, leaving the frame in place. Leonardo da Vinci 's masterpiece was recovered two years later in Florence.

Another of the most notorious thefts occurred in 1983, when two pieces of Renaissance-era armor went missing. The Louvre is the world's most popular museum (with more than eight million visitors a year) and is undergoing renovations announced this year by President Emmanuel Macron .