Axe-Wielding Thieves Steal $1M of King Charles's Family Heirlooms in "Violent Robbery"

When one imagines a royal robbery, scenes of masked intruders sneaking into a palace in the middle of the night come to mind. But a recent regal heist sent shockwaves through the heritage world thanks to its brazen nature. Four axe-wielding burglars stormed into a Parisian museum and stole some of King Charles's heirlooms in broad daylight—and they made off with roughly $1 million in priceless antiques.

The thieves stormed past startled tourists and guards on Nov. 20, using axes and baseball bats to smash glass display cases in the Musée Cognacq-Jay. Per Art News, the thieves "fled on scooters in a matter of minutes." Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.

Their prize: seven exquisite works of art, with two items of particular historical significance belonging to the Royal Collection Trust. The British charity is responsible for the care and conservation of the Royal Family's collection of art and antiques, and had loaned precious snuffboxes belonging to King George V and Queen Mary to the museum.

One such piece was a jasper box covered in diamonds and gold foliage that was made for Frederick II of Prussia in the 1700s. The snuffbox was purchased by King Charles's great-grandmother, Queen Mary, during a Christie's auction in 1932, per the Royal Collection Trust.

The second stolen heirloom was a blue snuffbox featuring a cameo design that was given as a gift to King George V on his 55th birthday in 1920.

The Brigade de Répression du Banditisme, a specialized police unit focusing on armed robberies, took charge of the case. Paris Musées confirmed the "violent robbery" and its significant cultural impact, announcing the museum's closure until December 10.

"Paris Musées and the City of Paris strongly condemn this criminal act and reaffirm their support for the staff present, who demonstrated great professionalism and an exemplary attitude in the face of this situation," a museum statement on the robbery read (via Newsweek). The Royal Collection Trust has not released a statement on the matter.

This isn't the first robbery to impact the Royal Family in recent weeks. In October, masked intruders stole vehicles from a farm on the Windsor Castle estate, with the property located just minutes away from Adelaide Cottage, where Prince William, Princess Kate and their children live.