Necklace once owned by Egypt’s Queen Nazli stolen from Vienna museum in armed heist
A diamond necklace belonging to former Egyptian Queen Nazli was stolen from Vienna’s MAK museum after an armed daylight robbery, Austrian police said.
Key Takeaways
AIAustrian police have announced the theft of a historic necklace once owned by former Queen Nazli of Egypt from Vienna’s renowned Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), after two armed men stormed the museum in broad daylight and seized the rare piece.
The robbery took place around 2 p.m., when the assailants threatened museum visitors with a firearm before smashing the display case, taking the necklace, and fleeing the scene.
The necklace is of significant historical and material value, featuring 673 diamonds and weighing over 200 carats. Queen Nazli famously wore it at the wedding of her daughter, Fawzia.
The necklace has a long history of changing hands. Queen Nazli was forced to sell her jewelry in the 1970s while living in the United States due to financial difficulties.
The piece was designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, which reacquired it in 2015 after purchasing it at a Sotheby’s auction for approximately $4.3 million.
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The daring heist recalls a similar daytime jewelry theft at France’s Louvre Museum, which also occurred in broad daylight and at a similar time.
Austrian police are investigating the circumstances of the theft after the armed suspects escaped with the historic necklace.