The Louvre Museum in Paris has announced plans to restore the damaged crown of Empress Eugénie, which was recovered outside the museum following a daring robbery on October 19. The crown, adorned with over 1,300 diamonds and emeralds, was one of eight precious objects stolen from the Apollo Gallery. Thieves used disc cutters to break into display cases, making off with items including a sapphire diadem, a necklace, and a single earring linked to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. The crown was found outside the museum, likely damaged during the theft rather than when it fell to the ground. Laurence des Cars, the Louvre’s director, confirmed that most of the crown’s jewels remain intact, though a few small diamonds and one of its eight gold eagles are missing. The restoration will be funded by patrons and supervised by a scientific committee, symbolizing the museum’s ongoing ‘New Renaissance’ initiative. Des Cars, who offered to resign after the robbery, emphasized the need for modernization, citing issues such as outdated facilities, overcrowding, and inadequate security. The ‘Louvre New Renaissance’ plan, launched earlier this year, aims to address these challenges with an estimated budget of 800 million euros ($933 million) by 2031.
Louvre vows to restore the imperial crown dropped by thieves during museum robbery
