PARIS (FN) — French prosecutors say silverware and tableware worth tens of thousands of euros were stolen from the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, in what investigators describe as an inside job that has embarrassed the presidency and raised questions about the safeguarding of national heritage.
The thefts, which occurred over several months in 2024, were first noticed when palace inventories showed irregularities. The head steward alerted authorities, triggering a probe that eventually led to the arrest of a palace silver steward, identified as Thomas M. Investigators say he had direct access to storerooms and state dining halls, giving him unusual freedom to remove items undetected.
Searches of his personal locker, vehicle, and home uncovered around 100 stolen objects, including Sèvres porcelain, Baccarat champagne glasses, copper saucepans, and a René Lalique statuette. Some of the missing items were even found listed on online auction sites such as Vinted, raising suspicions of premeditation and outside contacts in the antiques trade.
Prosecutors estimate the value of the stolen items between €15,000 and €40,000 ($17,500–$46,800). Thomas M. and two alleged accomplices are set to stand trial next year on charges of stealing “heritage property,” a crime that carries significant prison terms under French law.
In response, the Élysée Palace has announced tighter controls, including stricter inventory checks, surveillance upgrades, and closer oversight of staff with access to heritage collections. Officials insist most of the stolen items have been recovered and returned, but the scandal has already damaged confidence in palace security.
Opposition politicians seized on the incident, accusing President Emmanuel Macron’s administration of negligence. Critics argue that if national treasures can vanish from the president’s own residence, broader cultural institutions may be equally vulnerable. The case has become a political talking point, blending crime with questions of governance.
Cultural experts stressed the symbolic weight of the theft. “Sèvres porcelain and Lalique pieces are not just tableware — they are part of France’s identity,” said one historian. “When they disappear from the Élysée, it is as if the Republic itself has been robbed.”
The scandal follows other high-profile thefts in France, including a Louvre Museum heist in October and a theft at the Museum of Natural History in September. Together, the incidents suggest a troubling pattern of lapses in protecting national treasures.
Public reaction has been mixed, with some expressing outrage at the breach of trust, while others mocked the palace for failing to secure its own silverware. French media have treated the case as both a crime story and a political embarrassment, with headlines questioning whether the presidency can safeguard symbols of statehood.
International observers note that thefts of state-owned heritage items have occurred elsewhere, but the Élysée case is particularly symbolic given the palace’s role as the seat of French power since 1848. For many, the scandal is not just about missing silverware but about the prestige of the presidency and the Republic itself.
