Tiara, necklace, and earrings from the sapphire set belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP
The French crown jewels stolen during the spectacular burglary at the Musée du Louvre on the morning of Sunday, October 19, all belonged to royal women of the 19th century: The tiara, necklace and earrings from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense; the necklace and earrings from the emerald set of Empress Marie-Louise; Empress Eugénie's large corsage bow, a reliquary brooch, and her tiara.
A ninth item, Empress Eugénie's crown, was abandoned by the thieves as they fled. Its condition is "under examination," detailed the Ministry of Culture in a statement, describing a break-in that was "exceptionally rapid and violent." In the Apollo Gallery, where these "priceless heritage" pieces were on display according to the ministry, they were exhibited in showcases, grouped by time period.
Read more Louvre heist: Photos of the stolen jewels
Marie-Amélie de Bourbon-Siciles (1782-1866) was the niece of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France (1755-1793), through her mother, Queen Maria Carolina of Naples. She was also the aunt of Empress Marie-Louise (1791-1847), Napoleon I's second wife. Duchess of Orléans by her 1809 marriage to Louis-Philippe, she became Queen of the French – the only woman to bear this title – from 1830 to 1848, when her husband ascended the throne on August 9, 1830, following the July Revolution (July 27-29, 1830) and the fall of Charles X.
