Louvre Director Laurence des Cars resigns in wake of jewel heist
The president and director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars (R), looks on prior to being questioned by senators October 22 following a burglary at the Louvre, at the French Senate in Paris. She resigned her position Tuesday. File Photo by Yoan Valat/EPA
Feb. 24 (UPI) — The director of the Louvre in Paris, Laurence des Cars, resigned her post Tuesday, months after thieves stole more than $100 million in jewels from the museum, French President Emanuel Macron announced.
The president accepted Cars’ letter of resignation, Macron’s office said, and welcomed the “act of responsibility.” The statement said the museum needs “calm” and strength to carry out major security and modernization projects.
Cars faced grilling by the French Senate in October after the brazen daylight heist of the jewels. A group of four thieves used a basket lift mounted to a truck to enter the museum through a second-floor balcony window and make off with historic jewelry. The loot included crowns, necklaces, tiaras and brooches worth much more than the individual value of the gems and precious metal were the thieves to melt down the pieces to sell the parts.
Among the items stolen were items once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.
French lawmakers questioned the efficacy of the Louvre’s safety measures in the weeks after the crime.
Auditors determined that the museum had fallen “considerably behind” in upgrading its technical infrastructure and security. The authors of the report took issue with the Louvre’s acquirement of 2,754 items over eight years, one-fourth of which were on display. These items — and renovations of displays — represent an investment of $167 million, double what the Louvre allocated for maintenance, upgrades and building restoration.
The report recommended that the Louvre eliminate a rule that requires the museum spend 20% of its ticket revenues — $143 million in 2024 — on acquiring new works. This would allow the facility to redirect funds to update the building without additional state funding. Auditors said the museum could also lean more heavily on its endowment fund to make the upgrades.