Louvre museum CLOSED as French minister confirms police investigating robbery

The Louvre Museum in central Paris has been closed after a robbery, France's culture minister has confirmed.

French police and government officials are at the scene, and police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Three individuals managed to escape with jewellery soon after the museum opened on Sunday, French media reported.

A necklace, a brooch, and a tiara were reportedly among the stolen items.

The thieves targeted a room in the Apollo Gallery, where what remains of France’s crown jewels is kept.

According to preliminary findings from the investigation, they were fully hooded and gained access to the building on the Seine River side, where construction work was taking place.

Two of the men entered the building through a smashed window and stole nine pieces from Napoleon and the Empress's jewellery collection, according to reports.

They then escaped on a motor scooter, with the third individual who had waited outside the building.

French minister Rachida Dati wrote on social media: "No injuries to report."

She: "I am on site alongside the museum teams and the police."

Officials from the Louvre confirmed that the museum would "remain closed today" on its official X account, citing "exceptional reasons".

The museum has not confirmed the items reportedly stolen.

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Footage on social media appears to show security and members of the public locked inside the Louvre museum following the incident.

One person wrote on X: "Just got to the Louvre and can see the security are locked inside! Everyone at the gates is being told that they cannot go in and that it is shut for today."

Located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement and home to some of the most infamous works of Western art, the National Art Museum in Paris is one of the most famous museums in the world.

Artwork includes the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory.

The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, initially built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II.

Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the museum's basement.

The attraction is the world's most-visited museum and a prominent tourist destination in the French capital, attracting up to nine million visitors each year.

In 2024, it received 8.7 million visitors, more than double the four million it was designed to accommodate.

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