In an act of stunning audacity, thieves executed a minutes-long daylight heist at the Louvre on Sunday, mere moments after the museum opened its doors to the public. Using a basket lift to scale the facade, the criminals forced a window, smashed display cases, and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels -- an embarrassing security breach that highlights staff complaints about severe overcrowding and thin staffing.

A total of eight priceless objects were taken, forming a rare collection of 19th-century imperial jewelry. The haul included sets belonging to two French empresses: an emerald necklace and matching earrings from Empress Marie-Louise (Napoleon Bonaparte's second wife), and Empress Eugénie's prized diadem and large corsage-bow brooch. Completing the theft were a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring linked to Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and a separate reliquary brooch.

According to Joachim Charles Napoleon Murat -- decedent of Caroline Bonaparte, the sister of French General Napoleon Bonaparte -- more shocking than the monetary value of the stolen items is the fact that symbols of France have been robbed.

"Even if it costs a billion euros, it will not bring France to its knees. But symbolically, it is an attack on the symbol of France. They have robbed 1500 years of history; it is the history of our great grandfathers and the

generations to come," Prince Joacum said.

Lamenting about the manner in which the priceless jewels were handled, Prince Joacum said: "These are jewels from the time of Napoleon I and III. There are diamonds which Marie Antoinette (last queen of France) wore. As a member of the family, I am shocked. I do not know where it (stolen items) would end up finally, but I have total confidence in police force.

Prince Joacum seems to concur with former French President Francois Holland's view that foreign hands may be involved in the robbery.

"Why else should they target Napoleon," he asked, adding: "There ae foreign nations which are envious of Napoleon. Some of the jewels, like the crown of the empress, were not made to wear; it was made as a part of exhibits during the universal exposition to showcase the richness and craftsmanship of France, in a way it was part of French heritage. Another crown -- with pearl studding -- was hypothecated by the royal family to take care of orphans. So it is these symbols of the nation that have been stolen."

The Louvre's status as a global cultural epicenter is matched by its history of security breaches and incidents. The most infamous theft occurred in 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa from its frame; the painting was recovered in Florence two years later. A separate notorious episode in 1956 saw a visitor hurl a stone at the painting, chipping the area near her left elbow and prompting the permanent installation of protective glass.

Today, this former royal palace houses a staggering roll call of civilization, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the armless perfection of the Venus de Milo, the wind-lashed Winged Victory of Samothrace, the ancient laws of the Code of Hammurabi, and iconic European masterpieces such as Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People and Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa. This vast collection—spanning Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the classical world to Europe's masters—draws a daily tide of up to 30,000 visitors even as investigators sweep its gilded corridors for clues.