The Theft of the French Crown Jewels

History Daily

On September 11, 1792, during the chaos of the French Revolution, a former prisoner named Paul Millette led a daring heist to steal the Fren

Key takeaways

• The theft occurred during a period of extreme political instability, making it possible for criminals to exploit the chaos.
• The crown jewels were left unprotected due to the collapse of royal authority and fear of imminent Prussian invasion.

Main topics

• The French Revolution
• Theft of the French Crown Jewels

Notable quotes

It had taken French monarchs centuries to assemble this collection, but it will only take a week for the thieves to plunder it.

Conclusion

The theft of the French Crown Jewels on September 11, 1792, stands as one of history's most audacious

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:09) It's the early hours of September 11, 1792, in a vast square on the western edge of Paris, France. Paul Millet dashes across the cobbles and ducks into the shadowy colonnade of the royal storehouse. The dark windows above him glisten in the moonlight, and all is quiet. He gives a low whistle, and with a scurry of footsteps, he's joined by his small gang of fellow thieves. Paul is 35 years old and a career criminal. but he's never attempted a heist like this. One of his accomplices hands him a coil of rope. Paul slings it over his shoulder and points to a nearby lamppost. On the count of three, Paul is hoisted into the air. Scrambling up the post, he pulls himself up onto the ladder bars used by the lamplighters. From there, he can reach out and touch the stone balcony on the second floor of the storehouse above. He steadies his balance and then launches himself at the balcony. At the last second, he just manages to grab the stone railing, and with a wild kick of his legs, he pulls himself over the top. But there's no time to catch his breath. Paul gets to his feet and quickly checks that there are still no guards to be seen in the dark square. Then he slips the rope off his shoulder, ties it around a stone column, and lowers it to his accomplices below. While they climb up the rope, Paul turns to the building behind him. He counts out the windows, knowing exactly which room he wants. the chambers where France's crown jewels are on display. Normally, they would be under armed guard, but this is no ordinary time. Paris is in the grip of revolution. The king has been overthrown and imprisoned, and the vast royal treasure of gold and diamonds is there for the taking. Speaker 1 (1:54) Over the next week, Paul Miette and his accomplices will return to the royal storehouse again and again, steadily emptying the building of its priceless jewels. It had taken French monarchs centuries to assemble this collection, but it will only take a week for the thieves to plunder it in one of history's most audacious robberies that began on September 11, 1792. Speaker 1 (2:18) Hello, History Daily listeners. The live show I've been telling you about for a few weeks has a new date, October 23rd at the Plaza Theater in Garland, Texas. This is my Days That Made America tour, a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with me and a band live on stage. So if you're in the North Texas area or anywhere close, be sure to come out and see me live. More shows will be announced soon, too. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to HistoryDailyLive.com. That's HistoryDailyLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to HistoryDailyLive.com. From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History Daily. Speaker 1 (3:22) History is made every day. On this podcast every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is September 11th, 1792, the theft of the French crown jewels. Speaker 1 (3:39) It's late August 1792 in La Force prison in Paris, a few weeks before the break-in at the royal storehouse. In a dank cell, Paul Millette presses his lips to the wall beneath the room's single barred window. It's raining outside, and a small stream of water is running down the stone. Paul is so thirsty that when he closes his eyes, the dirty water tastes almost as good as the jugs of wine he used to drink at his favorite tavern. But when he opens his eyes again, The sad reality of his situation is impossible to ignore. He slumps down on the ground beside one of his cellmates. If he could just get out of this prison, he's convinced that he could pull off one of the greatest heists the world had ever seen. When he was a free man, he heard about the lax security at the royal storehouse. Every Monday, the