On November 20, snuffboxes belonging to his great-grandfather, King George V, and great-grandmother, Queen Mary, were taken from the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris.

According to Newsweek, four burglars armed with axes forced their way past guards and visitors during the daytime raid, using their weapons to shatter a glass display case.

Among the stolen items were two pieces on loan from The Royal Collection Trust, the charity responsible for maintaining the monarchy’s art collection for public display. The total estimated value of the stolen goods was reported as €1 million by the French newspaper Le Monde.

Paris Musées released an official statement denouncing the theft, calling it a “violent robbery.”

The statement elaborated: “Seven works of art, including historically significant snuffboxes on loan from the Louvre, the Royal Collection Trust, and The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, were taken as part of the Luxe de poche exhibition.”

It was also noted that investigations are ongoing to assess the significant loss, with the museum remaining closed until December 10.

“Paris Musées and the City of Paris strongly condemn this criminal act and express their support for the staff present, who exhibited great professionalism and composure in this situation,” the statement concluded.

The Musée Cognacq-Jay confirmed the incident in an official statement, detailing the theft of seven artworks, including valuable snuffboxes on loan from various prestigious collections.

What was Stolen?

The Musée Cognacq-Jay specified that seven snuffboxes were taken, including two from the Royal Collection Trust. One snuffbox was a gift to King George V on his 55th birthday in 1920, while the other, featuring 3,000 diamonds, was purchased by Queen Mary in 1932.

The first snuffbox is described as a “cartouche-shaped, gold and lapis lazuli piece” inlaid with “an onyx cameo depicting the Birth of Venus,” according to The Royal Collection’s official website.

The organization added, “King George V and Queen Mary amassed an impressive collection of gold boxes, which were popular gifts for the King. This particular box was presented by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, on the King’s birthday, June 3, 1920.”

The second piece was the “Fabrique Royale” table snuffbox, acquired by Queen Mary in July 1932.