Belgium royal family doesn't have many very precious tiaras unlike the other royal families. It is because, read from Danjel's site, during the 19th century, a Belgium princesses owed alot of debts and so the family sold many precious jewels to pay her debts, something like this.
That's right Poppy, it was princess Louise who did that, but that's not the only reason so much got lost:
-in Belgium there's no foundation to keep the jewelry in the country, so princess Marie-José took hers to Italy, princess joséphine-Charlotte to Luxemburg
-King Leopold II sold jewelry to finance his projects in Congo
-And (the worst in my eyes) princess Lilian (second wife of Leopold III) sold quite a lot as well, like queen Elisabeth's gorgeous Cartier tiara. It's a mystery to me how she could sell these pieces that belonged to her husband's family's collection, but well the damage is done...
Originally posted by Cathérine Bergeyck@Dec 6th, 2003 - 5:20 am
-And (the worst in my eyes) princess Lilian (second wife of Leopold III) sold quite a lot as well, like queen Elisabeth's gorgeous Cartier tiara. It's a mystery to me how she could sell these pieces that belonged to her husband's family's collection, but well the damage is done...
Indeed, what Lilian did with the royal jewels is a terrible shame. In my eyes she was one of the most beautiful princesses of Belgium but her way of using jewels from Astrid and selling them is as Cathérine said the worst :(
It would be lovely to see now Paola wearing the Cartier Tiara, Mathilde the Emerald suite B)
1. the necklace she wore at her engagement ball
2. Necklace she wore at the new year's reception for the Belgian ambassadors, 2000.
3. The necklace is from Delvaux.
4. A good view of Mathilde's tiara and her wedding earrings
5. Wearing a really gorgeous necklace
6. Wearing her tiara
7 & 8. Really nice necklaces. They may be of glass or plastic (but you wouldn't wear diamonds on a public duty during the day, would you?), but she looks lovely with them.
I've noticed that Princess Mathilde wears her engagement ring on her left hand and her wedding band on her right. Is this the custom in Belgium? Thanks :flower:
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Those who plot the destruction of others often perish in the attempt. ---Phaedrus
Originally posted by Cathérine Bergeyck@Dec 6th, 2003 - 5:20 am
That's right Poppy, it was princess Louise who did that, but that's not the only reason so much got lost:
-in Belgium there's no foundation to keep the jewelry in the country, so princess Marie-José took hers to Italy, princess joséphine-Charlotte to Luxemburg
-King Leopold II sold jewelry to finance his projects in Congo
-And (the worst in my eyes) princess Lilian (second wife of Leopold III) sold quite a lot as well, like queen Elisabeth's gorgeous Cartier tiara. It's a mystery to me how she could sell these pieces that belonged to her husband's family's collection, but well the damage is done...
It was actually quite alright for the two Princesses, Marie-Jose and Josephine-Charlotte to have some jewels as their dowry because I think the must have had the permission from the Late Kings.
BUT that Princess Lilian, oh man, from what you've mentioned above, it feels like that she wasn't a very kind step-mother. It feels like that she sold the jewels for her own personal purposes or that of her children's, and she was able to do that because the Late King was sort of dominated by her.
To me, it's actually quite sad to see Queen Paolo wearing the same tiaras over and over again (excluding the informal tiaras she worn during her youth). It's either the Belgium Empire Tiara or the tiara worn by Princess Mathilde on her wedding day.
Once read from a newspaper article that Belgium Royal Family is quite wealthy, so why don't they just make some more jewels esp. tiaras.
I do not believe the belgian royal family is very wealthy, but maybe they want to use their money for other, more nopble purposes than tiara's?
and I think we have Princess Lilian (de Rethy) to thank for the lack of tiara's...(& leopold III of course) I never understood why a morgonaut received so many tiara's & why Elisabeth or Leopold did not give it to Boudouin instead
1 & 2.During the Finnish state visit to Belgium, Mathilde wore fantasy earrings and a matching bracelet.
3, 4 & 5.To the gala evening of Handicap International, Mathilde wore a fantasy golden necklace to match her beautiful gown.
6. Beautiful necklace during the economic mission to Oman
7. A wonderful diamond brooch
8. Tiara during the Norwegian state visit to Belgium
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