On Sunday, October 19, four masked thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris and escaped with jewelry valued at an estimated $102 million. Among the pieces stolen were several belonging to Empress Eugénie—including a tiara, a brooch and a crown (which was later found damaged, reportedly dropped during their escape).
So who was Empress Eugénie and why were her jewels so important? Here are five fascinating facts about the royal icon:
Eugénie first crossed paths with Prince Louis Napoléon, who would later become Napoleon III, at a formal gathering in 1849. According to the book, Napoleon III and His Carnival Empire, a biography of Napoleon III written by John Bierman, during their early exchange, he reportedly asked her how he could win her heart. Her now-famous response? "Through the chapel, Sire."
The two tied the knot in January 1853, first in a civil ceremony at the Tuileries Palace, followed by a grand religious service at Notre-Dame.
Eugénie had a difficult pregnancy journey, including a miscarriage in 1853. But in 1856, she gave birth to her only child, Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte—later styled as the Prince Impérial.
Eugénie was ahead of her time. She pushed for gender equality in education and lobbied for women’s achievements to be recognized, once even trying (unsuccessfully) to have George Sand elected to the Académie Française. She even urged the Ministry of National Education to award the first baccalaureate diploma to a female student.
Eugénie’s taste was unmatched. Her jewelry purchases reportedly totaled 3.6 million francs ($4.5 million USD). Many of her pieces were later bought by American jeweler Charles Tiffany and sold to U.S. socialites—turning her collection into a global sensation.
Born on May 5, 1826, as María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, Eugénie lived until July 11, 1920—nearly 100 years.
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