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Lily Shanagher
The director of the Louvre has resigned after being blamed for a jewel heist at the Paris museum.
Laurence des Cars handed in her resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (Paris time) after four months of mounting pressure over the €88 million ($146 million) raid.
Des Cars has been blamed for security failings that allowed thieves to break in and steal France’s crown jewels in October last year.
She offered to resign from her position immediately after the break-in, but Macron refused it.
She claims she was told to stay in her post to “steer the ship through the storm” of a public inquiry, which this week criticised her for “systematic failures”.
Macron’s office has now accepted her resignation, saying in a statement that her departure was an “act of responsibility” and the museum needed “calm and a strong new impetus”.
Des Cars, hired as the Louvre’s first female director in September 2021, told Le Figaro after her resignation: “I take my share of responsibility, of course. But the guilty parties, the masterminds, they’re still out there.”
On the morning of October 19, four thieves wielding power tools broke into the museum and made off with eight items of jewellery worth €88 million before escaping on scooters.
They entered the Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony and cut through a window before threatening the guards, who evacuated the premises.
Eight pieces were taken, including a tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III; an emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings belonging to Empress Marie Louise; a tiara, necklace and single earring from a sapphire set, and a brooch.
A crown of emeralds and diamonds belonging to Empress Eugenie was found damaged on the escape route, apparently having been dropped as the thieves made their getaway.
Five suspects have been charged over the heist, but the jewels have still not been recovered.
Theft ‘cruelly highlighted’ dilapidation
Des Cars told Le Figaro the theft “cruelly highlighted what I have been warning about since my arrival”, adding: “The building’s dilapidated state, the obsolescence of the technical installations, and the massive congestion problems, to name just a few.”
The damage to the reputation of the world’s most-visited museum was worsened by a series of staff strikes over low pay and poor maintenance, forcing its closure in December and January.
It was further embarrassed after French police dismantled a “large-scale” ticket fraud network and arrested two museum employees last week.
And on Sunday, anti-billionaire activists managed to hang the photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, taken after he left a police station following his arrest last week on the museum’s wall.
Des Cars pointed out that museum staff were aware of its inadequate infrastructure and security long before October’s theft.
She said: “Ironically, the public contracts for security were about to be awarded at the very moment the jewels were stolen. Indeed, if we were able to implement dozens of emergency measures in just a few weeks, it was precisely because this master plan was ready.
“I am handing over the reins to my successor, who will be appointed. They will benefit from a clear framework and secure budgets.”
Critics, including the state auditors’ office, have questioned the museum’s low spending on security and infrastructure maintenance while it made lavish purchases of new artwork, only a quarter of which is on display.
The heist exposed how only one camera was mounted on the wall where the thieves entered, pointing away from the balcony. Des Cars insisted she had wanted to double the number of security cameras in the museum.
The inquiry’s complete findings are due in May.
The Telegraph, London
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