The director of the famend Louvre museum in Paris resigned Tuesday following final 12 months’s “heist of the century” which noticed €88m ($100m) worth of crown jewels stolen.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated he accepted Laurence des Cars’ resignation, and praised her determination to step down as “an act of responsibility at a time when the world’s largest museum needs both stability and a strong new impetus,” in response to the Elysée Palace.
Des Cars had previously offered her resignation to Culture Minister Rachida Dati after the robbery which noticed thieves break into the museum’s Apollo Gallery, however it was rejected at the time.
She admitted final 12 months that the “absolutely obsolete, even absent, technical infrastructure” to observe the nation’s most respected treasures was a “terrible observation” for the world’s largest museum.
In 2024, the Louvre welcomed 8.7 million guests, with vacationers from the United States making up 13% of all visitors, second solely to the French.
“The President thanked her for her work and commitment over the past few years and, recognizing her undeniable scientific expertise, entrusted her with a mission within the framework of the French G7 presidency, focusing on cooperation between the major museums of the participating countries,” the Elysée stated on Tuesday.
The heist was solely the newest in a series of troubles to befall the venerable establishment, which was additionally hit by strike motion final 12 months with staff complaining of unmanageable crowds, understaffing and poor working situations.
Des Cars grew to become the first feminine director of the Louvre Museum in its 230-year historical past, when she took on the position in September 2021.