LONDON, July 30, 2025 — A dramatic daylight robbery at the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris has resulted in a £3.02 million insurance payout to the Royal Collection Trust, following the theft of two rare 18th-century snuff boxes on loan from the UK’s royal collection.
The figure was disclosed in the Trust’s newly published annual accounts, revealing the financial aftermath of the November 2024 heist, which shocked museum-goers and curators alike.
The stolen pieces included a Fabrique Royale snuff box encrusted with nearly 3,000 diamonds and another featuring a cameo of the Birth of Venus — both of significant historical and royal provenance.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, the robbery was executed by four masked assailants who arrived on scooters and smashed display cases with an axe in broad daylight, as stunned visitors watched.
The robbers swiftly vanished, leaving behind broken glass and panic, but no immediate leads. The Cognacq-Jay Museum was hosting a prestigious exhibition of 18th-century luxury miniatures at the time, featuring items loaned from the Royal Collection, the Louvre, and the Palace of Versailles.
While the total value of stolen artefacts from all institutions was initially estimated at one million euros, the Royal Collection Trust alone has now claimed more than £3 million in losses.
The Trust confirmed in its report that the insurance proceeds “will be placed into a designated fund to be used for the enhancement of the collection.” It has not been revealed whether any progress has been made in recovering the stolen items.
The diamond-encrusted Fabrique Royale snuff box, believed to have once belonged to the Russian imperial family, was seized during the 1917 Russian Revolution and later purchased by Queen Mary in 1932. The other snuff box is of German origin, intricately crafted and historically valuable.
Despite the setback, the Royal Collection Trust reported a strong year for visitor numbers. Buckingham Palace welcomed 683,000 guests during its extended summer opening, while Windsor Castle drew nearly 1.4 million visitors in the 2024–25 period — making it the most visited royal site.
Total visitors to royal residences and exhibitions reached 2.9 million, generating almost £90 million in revenue and a surplus of nearly £14 million.
The Trust also highlighted accessibility initiatives, including £1 entry tickets for people receiving Universal Credit, with nearly 20,000 discounted tickets sold at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Authorities continue to investigate the robbery, but the snuff boxes — priceless in cultural and historical value — remain missing.
