Louvre museum director resigns after $104m crown jewels theft

The director of the Louvre museum in Paris has resigned months after a major theft of France’s historic crown jewels from the world-famous gallery.

Laurence des Cars submitted her resignation to Emmanuel Macron, who praised the move, saying the museum now needs to improve ahead with security upgrades and modernisation, according to BBC.

The theft happened on the morning of 19 October last year when suspects used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to reach a balcony overlooking the River Seine and break into the museum.

Four main suspects have since been arrested. However, eight valuable pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth about $104m have not been recovered.

Among the missing items is a diamond and emerald necklace said to have been given by Napoleon to his wife.

As the suspects fled, they dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, damaging it.

A parliamentary inquiry into how the break-in happened is now under way. A preliminary report released last week pointed to ‘systemic failures’ that allowed the theft to take place, with final findings expected in May.

In recent months, the museum has also faced other problems, including a suspected ticket fraud scheme and a water leak.