3 French men on trial for stealing tableware from Élysée Palace

The case heard by a Paris court on Thursday evening felt almost surreal: Élysée-stamped plates, official tableware associated with the French presidency, had allegedly slipped out of the presidential storerooms and resurfaced online, Euronews writes.

Three men are on trial over the theft and resale of around 100 porcelain pieces allegedly taken between 2023 and 2025, worth hundreds of thousands of euros in total.

The central figure is Thomas M, a former presidential silverware and table-service steward who, for five years, managed stock and set the tables for state banquets.

On the stand, Thomas M spoke quietly when facing the judges. Beside him was his partner, Damien G, who runs a tableware sales business and is accused of acting as an intermediary in the resale operation.

The third defendant, Ghislain M, appeared visibly shaken. Dressed in a suit, he had worked since 2023 as a staff member at the Louvre, one of France’s most visited cultural sites.

The investigation started after France’s state porcelain maker, Sèvres, noticed Élysée Palace plates being sold online. The disappearance of the items led investigators to focus on Thomas M, the palace’s former silverware steward, who often worked alone and made repeated stock-record errors.

In court, Thomas admitted to stealing pieces in 2023, initially out of admiration for their beauty. Later, financial difficulties led him and his romantic partner, Damien G, to sell the items.

Ghislain M insisted he did not know Thomas M worked at the Élysée and claimed he was unaware the objects were stolen at the time of purchase.

It is reported that the court will announce its verdict on April 16.