The damaged crown of Empress Eugénie, stolen during a brazen heist at the Louvre Museum on October 19, will be restored and "certainly" put back on public display, according to Laurence des Cars, the museum's president-director. The historic artifact was recovered damaged near the museum premises after being stolen from the Apollo Gallery, where it had been on display since 2020.
Speaking on franceinfo radio on Friday, November 7, des Cars expressed confidence that the crown would eventually return to public view. "It will take some time, but it will be a beautiful symbol of the Louvre's renaissance," she stated. The museum director emphasized the symbolic importance of the restoration project for the institution's recovery from this unprecedented security breach.
Des Cars confirmed that the crown sustained damage "undoubtedly during its extraction from the display case, through the small opening made by the angle grinder." The thieves had used power tools to break into the reinforced glass case housing the precious artifact. According to initial assessments conducted by the museum's decorative arts department team, the most important pieces of the crown remain intact, and the palmettes are complete.
However, the evaluation revealed some missing components from the historic piece. "A few small diamond pieces are missing, along with one of the eight gold eagles," des Cars explained. The crown, which dates back to the Second French Empire, is considered one of the most significant pieces in the Louvre's collection of imperial regalia and decorative arts.
The restoration effort has already garnered support from the cultural community. Several patrons have volunteered to help fund the restoration work, demonstrating the public's commitment to preserving this important piece of French heritage. Additionally, a scientific committee will be established to oversee and guide the restoration process, ensuring that the work meets the highest standards of art conservation.
The theft represented one of the most audacious museum heists in recent French history. The perpetrators managed to breach the Louvre's security systems and break into the heavily protected display case containing the crown. The artifact was later found damaged in the vicinity of the world-famous museum, leading to questions about security protocols at one of the world's most visited cultural institutions.
The crown of Empress Eugénie holds particular historical significance as it represents the grandeur of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III. The piece had been on permanent display in the Apollo Gallery, one of the Louvre's most prestigious exhibition spaces, where visitors could admire its intricate craftsmanship and historical importance. The restoration project will now become a closely watched effort to preserve this irreplaceable link to French imperial history.
