Olivier Gabet, director of decorative arts at the Louvre Museum, has publicly opposed suggestions to replace the French crown jewels with copies or move them to less accessible storage after a theft on October 19. Thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery, stealing nine objects including Empress Eugénie’s crown, which was dropped and damaged during the escape. Two suspects were arrested on October 24. Gabet told Le Monde that the crown was deformed and flattened as thieves extracted it through slits cut in the glass case, but it has been recovered and is deemed restorable by experts, with only a few small diamonds and one gold eagle missing.
This incident matters because it reignites a critical debate about the balance between security and public access to irreplaceable cultural treasures. Gabet’s insistence on displaying original objects rather than copies underscores the Louvre’s commitment to preserving the authenticity and symbolic value of the French crown jewels, which are central to the museum’s identity and historical narrative. The theft also highlights vulnerabilities in museum security systems and the challenges institutions face in protecting high-value artifacts while maintaining open public engagement.