Unidentified, Mystery and Lost Royal Jewels

[casualfan]

It's ID'd in the last link above as the "Hesse Diamond Tiara."

 

[Artemisia]

It's better known as Hessian Grand Ducal Tiara.

Hesse Grand Ducal Tiara belonged Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and was, if I'm not mistaken, a wedding gift to her by one of her British relatives (but not Queen Victoria). It was left to her son Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse. Ernst August was married twice. His first wife was his 1st cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of the United Kingdom (she later married Grand Duke of Russia), the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. His second wife was Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. Both wives were pictured wearing the tiara but there is no photographic evidence of anyone wearing the tiara later so nothing is known about its present whereabouts.

 

[ldmemail]

With 50+ jewels that were never categorised, it is indeed possible the tiara was from the Greville lot.

One thing that makes me doubt that though: I remember a picture of the Countess of Strathmore (The Queen Mother's mother) during George VI coronation and she appears to be wearing the same or very similar tiara loaned to her by her daughter. If it's the same tiara, then it couldn't be a Greville bequest, could it?

At last a clear photograph of the Countess of Strathmore's tiara - and what a beauty it is!!!

 

[Artemisia]

Thank you very much for posting that, ldmemail!
I've been looking for a clear picture of the Countess wearing the tiara for ages.

 

[USCtrojan]

...tonight we've seen it for the first time in decades, on the head of Crown Princess Pavlos (Marie-Chantal) of Greece. Yay!

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dJ0bmM6Dx7di/x610.jpg

My question is -did she purchase it from the family as they may have needed money and it assisted them by keeping in the family, and now becoming Marie-Chantal's property or have they had it all along and not worn it all these years, and it suddenly resurfaced on Marie-Chantal's head at Margarethe's birthday dinner?

Does anyone know who now has the coronet that Countess Estelle Barnadotte wore when she got married?http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2008/12/estelle-manville-marries-folke.html

What a beautiful piece -you don't see these anymore!

 

[Spheno]

Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts - Culture > Weddings > Bridal Crowns

brudkrona -

 

[Mariel]

Margarita of Romania wore if perfectly, and she also has worn the Greek Key tiara (to the Lux wedding) perfectly. She was made for tiaras. I don't remember tiaras much but I loved the Greek Key on her. I would like the Essex Tiara better if it didn't have the spiky fence on the top. I like tiaras which are NOT lofty, but fit closer to the head.
Possibly women with somewhat broad cheekbones look especially good in tiaras. Maybe it's a slavic thing. I don't know how tiaras started out in history, but maybe they were common in slav-related countries. When taking ballet lessons, I did some slavic dances and we wore the "tiaras" (not real jewels) or cloth copies which were traditional in those dances.

 

[ldmemail]

Thank you very much for posting that, ldmemail!
I've been looking for a clear picture of the Countess wearing the tiara for ages.

My pleasure! I was glad to find one !

 

[USCtrojan]

Long lost grand tiaras

Does anyone know what happened to this tiara worn by the Queen Mother of Romania? I tried to find the Greek royal jewels thread, but I didn't see it.

 

[ldmemail]

Does anyone know what happened to this tiara worn by the Queen Mother of Romania? I tried to find the Greek royal jewels thread, but I didn't see it.

This is the 'Queen Sophie of Greece' tiara, last seen being worn by Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece in January 2012.

 

[Lee-Z]

See also: Queen Sofia's tiara

 

[USCtrojan]

About Queen Marie of Romania tiaras - what are these two?

1. Queen Marie of Romania Gallery / M.S. Regina Maria Postcard
2. Queen Marie of Romania Gallery / M.S. Regina Maria Coronation Postcard

HM Looks gorgeous in her coronation crown and robes! What a beautiful picture! Thanks for sharing.

 

[USCtrojan]

Here's another postcard of Queen Marie.
For those interested check out this site: http://www.tkinter.smig.net/QueenMarie/Gallery/index.htm

There is an extensive collection of postcards of Queen Marie and the Romanian Royal Family, including this one showing the Queen wearing an intricate diamond and pearl tiara and a spectacular stomacher...

Queen Marie of Romania: lost jewels

What a great link with so many fantastic pictures of a beautiful woman! This tiara is by far one of my favorite -if not my favorite! I'm sad that it has disappeared

I'm guessing that since your original post you have heard nothing new of the whereabouts or fate of this stunning tiara?

Anyone else?

 

[Marengo]

I believe Queen Marie lost most ofher jewels during/after WWI. She left them in Russia for safe keeping during the war,and due to the revolution never saw them back.

 

[USCtrojan]

I believe Queen Marie lost most ofher jewels during/after WWI. She left them in Russia for safe keeping during the war,and due to the revolution never saw them back.

Do we know why she sent them to Russia in the first place?

 

[ldmemail]

Do we know why she sent them to Russia in the first place?

The Tsar and Tsarina were both first cousins and she assumed the jewels would be safe with them - as did the then Princess Louis of Battenberg.

 

[sancakli70]

What happens withe the ottoman jewels? We know.that every ottoman princess have tiaras. At the exile they sold all. Anyone know who build the tiaras?

 

[Warren]

Recent posts have been moved to the Research, Archives, Discussion... thread.

 

[Marengo]

Journalist and author Els Smit wrote a blog about the missing Bourbon Parma diademe ( in Dutch):

Bourbon-Parma diadeem duikt op in filmpje en foto’s uit 1911

However, she also found a clip where you can see the tiara. From 2:10 minutes on the left, worn by Pss Maria de las Nieves during the wedding of the last emperor of Austria and Empress Zita:

 

[Tilia C.]

Journalist and author Els Smit wrote a blog about the missing Bourbon Parma diademe ( in Dutch):

Bourbon-Parma diadeem duikt op in filmpje en foto’s uit 1911

However, she also found a clip where you can see the tiara. From 2:10 minutes on the left, worn by Pss Maria de las Nieves during the wedding of the last emperor of Austria and Empress Zita:

Interesting article! I knew that the Bourbon-Parma tiara was worn at Zita’s wedding. But I always assumed that it must have been worn by Princess Maria Antonia, Zita’s mother. She was still alive and should have played a prominent role at her daughter’s wedding.

The tiara was also worn at the wedding of Zita’s half-sister Beatrice. Again I had assumed that Princess Maria Antonia should have been the wearer.
http://s11.postimg.org/uz6zbyns3/Beatrice_Bourbon_Parma.jpg
picture courtesy of the Royal Weddings Member Board.

Can someone here confirm the identity of the lady?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

There is an exhibition about Anna Paulovna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia who became Princess of Orange in 1816 (200 years ago) and Queen of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in 1840.

A lot of jewels of the Queen went lost by fire, robbery or inheritance. An interesting piece showed up. Apparently in 1850, when Queen Anna Paulovna learned about the marriage of her Grootmeesteres ("Mistress of the Robes") Justina Maria Wilhelmina Baroness Van Nagell van Ampsen née Baroness Rengers, she spontaneously took off her jewels and gave it to her...

The Dutch noble family Van Nagell van Ampsen loaned these Orange-Nassau/Romanov jewels to the exhibition. They look surprisingly modern! Picture. I hope the family Van Nagell van Ampsen will give the King the first option when they would decide to sell it. Looks a nice and historic addition to the royal collection. The family still owns estates in the Netherlands and Germany, so they seem not too pauvre and in need to sell.

 

[SLV]

The Dutch noble family Van Nagell van Ampsen loaned these Orange-Nassau/Romanov jewels to the exhibition. They look surprisingly modern! Picture.

Ohhhhh!!! Amethysts!!!! Gorgious. How wonderful that the family loaned them.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The Polish Crown Regalia consisted of several crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, and jewels. They were destroyed on the order of King Frederick William III of Prussia in March 1809.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The last wearer of the amethyst set seems to have been Jeanne Linnie Alice Clifford Kocq van Breugel née Baroness van Nagell (1918-2007). Her husband died last year: Jonkheer Willem François Clifford Kocq van Breugel (1914-2015).

Some googling learned that the Baroness was the last person with the surname Van Nagell. The couple lived at Schaffelaar Estate (picture). During her life the Baroness sold the building for 1 guilder to the municipality of Barneveld. The domain around was donated to the Foundation Guelders' Landscape.

After the death of the husband in 2015, the children donated artworks to several institutions. It would have been nice when the set was offered for sale to the royal family. Maybe this exhibition brings the King (Executive of the Foundation Crown Properties of the House Orange-Nassau) to make a purchase. This year it is 200 years ago that Anna Paulovna Romanova became Princess of Orange. It is a very historic piece and the Dutch collection lacks big eyepopping amethysts. What more reason does the Foundation need?

;-)

When the King can purchase villas, speedboats, breath-takingly expensive cars and order the Golden State Coach (and before that the Glass State Berline and the Crême Calèche) to be painfully restored against mega-amounts, he can purchase a set of jewels too.

 

[Kitty1224]

I still think there is a lot of hidden and missing jewels from the Russian royal family and their relatives and Queen Marie of Romania as well.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Viceroy of Ireland’s jewels found in London bank vault


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...s-jewels-found-in-london-bank-vault-1.2226609

 

[Emme]

They found her father’s grand master’s badge and star of the Order of St Patrick hidden away in trunks filled with tiaras and other family treasures in the vaults of Hoare’s private bank.

My favorite line of the story. Can you imagine stumbling upon an old trunk, say in your attic, and opening it to find tiaras and treasures?

 

[Marengo]

The article speaks of 'trunks filled with tiaras'. Just imagine the surprise when the trunk was opened first!

The treasures will be auctioned at Sotheby's but the article sadly did not have a link to the auction catalogue.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Yes indeed and seeing as the Order of St Patrick is now dormant it was a very exciting find.

 

[Tilia C.]

The discussion about the necklace recently worn by the Duchess of Cambridge has been move to her threas here http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f20/duchess-of-cambridge-jewels-3-january-2016-a-39979.html.