Louvre Museum Reopens 3 Days After Historic Royal Jewels Worth €88 Million Stolen

<p>The Louvre Museum in Paris swung open its doors again on Wednesday, just three days after an audacious daylight robbery saw thieves make off with historic royal jewels valued at a staggering &euro;88 million (approximately ₹894 crore).</p>
<h2>Crowds Return To The World&rsquo;s Most Visited Museum</h2>
<p>Live footage from French news outlets captured long queues forming outside the museum&rsquo;s iconic glass pyramid as visitors returned for the first time since the sensational theft. The break-in, described as one of the boldest in recent memory, sent shockwaves across the art world and raised serious questions about security at one of France&rsquo;s most treasured institutions.</p>
<h2>Priceless Royal Jewels Stolen</h2>
<p>According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the stolen collection was worth more than $100 million. Among the eight missing pieces were an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon I to his wife Empress Marie-Louise, and a pearl-studded tiara that once adorned Empress Eug&eacute;nie, a symbol of 19th-century French elegance and power.</p>
<p>Images released by Reuters showed the delicate diadem that vanished in the meticulously planned heist on October 19. The theft has become a subject of fascination, with experts comparing it to scenes from classic heist films.</p>
<h2>A Seven-Minute Operation</h2>
<p>Investigators revealed that the robbery was executed in just seven minutes. The thieves reportedly arrived in a truck equipped with an extendable ladder, commonly used by movers in Paris. Parking beneath the Louvre&rsquo;s famed Apollo Gallery, they scaled a window, smashed open display cases, and used cutting tools to extract the jewels before fleeing the scene.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Beccuau confirmed that four suspects are believed to have taken part in the operation. Authorities are now analysing fingerprints and surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the culprits.</p>
<h2>Security Scrutiny And Public Outcry</h2>
<p>As news of the heist spread, Louvre Director Laurence des Cars faced pointed questions from a French Senate committee regarding the museum&rsquo;s security systems. The incident has reignited debate over how well-protected France&rsquo;s cultural treasures truly are.</p>
<p>The theft also comes just a month after another daring crime in the capital, when intruders broke into Paris&rsquo;s Natural History Museum and escaped with gold nuggets worth over $1.5 million.</p>