Louvre Museum Director Resigns After Crown Jewels Heist

Laurence des Cars, the director of the Louvre museum in Paris, has resigned following a high-profile theft that shocked France. She submitted her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who acknowledged that the museum needed "calm and a strong new impetus" to address security issues and modernization.

On October 19 last year, thieves executed a daring raid using a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the museum from a balcony near the River Seine. They stole eight prized pieces of jewelry worth approximately 88 million euros, including a diamond and emerald necklace that Emperor Napoleon gave to his wife. While fleeing, they dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, causing damage.

Days after the incident, Des Cars admitted that the museum's CCTV system was "aging" and inadequate. The camera monitoring the exterior wall where thieves entered was pointing away from the critical balcony leading to the Gallery of Apollo, where the jewels were housed. Despite welcoming over 8.7 million visitors annually, the Louvre has struggled with budget constraints affecting security investments.

Four suspects have been arrested, but the stolen jewels remain missing. A parliamentary inquiry is investigating the "systemic failures" that enabled the break-in, with final findings expected in May.