When thieves broke into the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and cut through display cases with an angle grinder, they seized a trove of Napoleonic jewels.
But in their daring escape through the window, the crown of Empress Eugénie slipped from their grasp and was left battered on the pavement below.
This week, over 100 days after the crown’s dramatic tumble, the Louvre museum released images showing its current state, ahead of repair work that it hopes can restore its former glory.
Commissioned by Napoleon III, the royal headdress was created for Empress Eugénie de Montijo and presented at the 1855 Paris Universal Exposition.
The item belongs to a rare collection…