Louvre Museum director resigns months after brazen French crown jewels heist

The director of the Louvre in Paris has stepped down months after the high-profile theft of France’s crown jewels exposed major security gaps at the world’s most visited museum.

Laurence des Cars submitted her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, whose office said he accepted it and praised the decision as “an act of responsibility at a time when the world’s largest museum needs calm and a strong new impetus” to advance security upgrades and modernisation projects.

The resignation follows intense scrutiny of the museum’s security after thieves stole jewellery worth an estimated €88 million in an October raid that shocked France and the international art world.

CROWN JEWELS HEIST STUNNED FRANCE

The break-in took place on the morning of 19 October when intruders used a stolen vehicle-mounted lift to reach a balcony overlooking the Seine and enter the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses historic French crown jewels.

Authorities said the operation lasted only minutes. Eight major pieces were taken, including a diamond-and-emerald necklace associated with Napoleon and Empress Josphine. As the thieves fled, they dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugnie, which was damaged but later recovered.

Four suspects have since been arrested, but the stolen jewels remain missing. Earlier this month, the Louvre released the first image of the damaged crown, saying it was “nearly intact” and could be fully restored.

SECURITY FAILURES UNDER SCRUTINY

In the days after the theft, des Cars admitted weaknesses in the museum’s surveillance system, saying perimeter CCTV was “aging” and inadequately positioned. The only camera covering the exterior wall breached by the thieves did not face the balcony used to access the gallery.

Despite receiving more than 8.7 million visitors annually, the Louvre has struggled to expand security infrastructure, she said, citing funding pressures faced by large cultural institutions. She had proposed doubling the number of cameras across the complex.

A parliamentary enquiry into the breach is under way. A preliminary report released last week cited “systemic failures” that enabled the break-in, with final findings expected in May.

Des Cars, appointed in 2021 as the first woman to lead the Louvre, had offered to resign shortly after the robbery but was initially asked to remain. She later said the incident had revealed a “tragic, brutal, violent reality for the Louvre” and that, as director, it felt right to take responsibility.

Since the heist, the museum has also faced other operational setbacks, including a suspected ticketing fraud scheme and a water leak, adding to pressure on its leadership.

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With inputs from agencies