Louvre Museum director resigns in the wake of October’s brazen French crown jewels heist

Louvre Director Resigns Amid Security Failures and Institutional Crisis

The director of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars, resigned Tuesday following months of mounting pressure stemming from the October theft of French crown jewels valued at €88 million ($102 million). Her departure comes as the world’s most visited museum grapples with a cascade of crises, including security breaches, infrastructure failures, labor unrest, and a recently uncovered ticket fraud scheme.

President Emmanuel Macron accepted des Cars’ resignation, characterizing it as “an act of responsibility” at a time when the museum requires “calm” and renewed momentum for critical security improvements and modernization projects. According to a statement from his office, Macron intends to assign des Cars to a new role focused on international museum cooperation during France’s upcoming Group of Seven presidency.

The resignation follows what many in France’s cultural sector viewed as the most humiliating breach of national heritage security in recent memory. In October, thieves executed a brazen daytime heist, taking less than eight minutes to steal crown jewels from the museum’s Apollo Gallery. While several suspects were subsequently arrested, the stolen artifacts remain missing.

Des Cars, who had led the Louvre since 2021, had initially offered to resign immediately after the theft, but Culture Ministry officials declined her resignation at that time. In an interview published Tuesday in Le Figaro newspaper, she explained that she had attempted to guide the institution through the aftermath of the robbery but concluded she could no longer effectively implement the museum’s necessary transformation.

“I was there to take the lightning,” des Cars told Le Figaro, adding that remaining in her position would have meant maintaining the status quo when the museum urgently requires comprehensive reform.

The October theft exposed vulnerabilities des Cars claims she had been warning about since assuming leadership – aging infrastructure, obsolete technical systems, and severe visitor congestion. These concerns were dramatically underscored in June when front-of-house staff and security workers staged a wildcat strike that forced the museum to halt operations, leaving thousands of visitors stranded outside the iconic glass pyramid.

Union representatives pointed to untenable working conditions, with staff overwhelmed by massive daily visitor flows, particularly around the “Mona Lisa.” Workers complained that staffing levels and infrastructure improvements at the medieval structure had failed to keep pace with increasing tourism demands.

The institutional crisis deepened two weeks ago when French authorities revealed a suspected ticket fraud operation potentially dating back a decade. Prosecutors allege tour guides repeatedly reused the same tickets – up to 20 times daily – to admit different visitor groups, sometimes allegedly with assistance from Louvre employees. Investigators estimate the scheme may have cost the museum approximately €10 million ($11.8 million).

In a rare interview following the fraud revelation, the museum’s general administrator Kim Pham acknowledged that while fraud at an institution of the Louvre’s scale was “statistically inevitable,” the museum had subsequently tightened validation procedures and increased oversight controls.

These successive crises have placed increased political weight on the “Louvre New Renaissance,” an ambitious overhaul championed by President Macron and unveiled in January 2025. The comprehensive renovation plan aims to modernize the overextended museum through additions including a new Seine River entrance to reduce pressure on I.M. Pei’s pyramid, expanded underground spaces, and a dedicated, timed-entry room for the “Mona Lisa.”

The project, estimated to cost between €700-800 million ($826-944 million), will be funded through a combination of ticket revenue, government support, donations, and income related to Louvre Abu Dhabi. Macron has positioned this renovation as a national priority, comparing its significance to other landmark French cultural preservation efforts.

As the search for des Cars’ successor begins, the new director will face the daunting challenge of addressing security vulnerabilities, improving staff working conditions, and implementing the sweeping modernization plan – all while maintaining the Louvre’s status as one of the world’s premier cultural institutions amid unprecedented public scrutiny.