Historic Snuff Boxes Stolen from Paris Museum Lead to £3M Insurance Claim

The Royal Collection Trust has secured a £3 million insurance payout after a daring daylight heist at a Paris museum last November resulted in the theft of two precious royal items. The details of the substantial loss were disclosed in the trust's annual accounts, highlighting the significant impact of the robbery at the Musée Cognacq-Jay.

The thieves, who were reported to have been four masked individuals, arrived at the museum on scooters and used an axe to smash display cases, startling visitors. Among the stolen items were two ornately decorated snuff boxes from the Royal Collection, which were on loan for an exhibition featuring 18th-century luxury miniatures.

The stolen items are identified as a snuff box featuring a cameo of the Birth of Venus, crafted in Germany during the 18th century, and a Fabrique Royale snuff box, also made in Germany and adorned with nearly 3,000 diamonds. The Fabrique Royale box had a notable history, previously belonging to the Russian royal family before being seized by Soviet authorities in 1917. It was later acquired by Queen Mary, wife of King George V, in 1932.

The annual report of the Royal Collection Trust, published on July 29, 2025, reveals that the insurance receipt of £3,020,000 will be allocated to a designated fund aimed at enhancing the collection. The trust, which manages the Royal Collection's extensive array of paintings, sculptures, furniture, and jewelry, emphasized the importance of this fund in preserving and augmenting the collection's value.

In addition to the stolen Royal Collection items, the heist also targeted exhibits from the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles. Despite the setback, the Royal Collection Trust reported a record number of visitors to Buckingham Palace during its summer opening, with 683,000 visitors. This increase is attributed to the opening of more areas of the palace, including the newly renovated East Wing, which overlooks the Mall.

Windsor Castle remained the most popular attraction, drawing nearly 1.4 million visitors during the 2024-25 period. Overall, the royal palaces and exhibitions welcomed 2.9 million visitors, generating nearly £90 million in ticket sales and producing profits of almost £14 million.

The trust has also implemented initiatives to improve accessibility, such as offering £1 tickets to individuals on Universal Credit and other benefits. Since the launch of this program, 19,500 discounted tickets have been sold in just four months at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.