Queen Fabiola Jewellery

[Vanesa]

Queen Fabiola knew how to wear jewels, for sure! She was very regal and very simple at the same time..Well, it's a redundance, for being regal it's to be simple with elegance.

Queen Fabiola is one of my favorite monarchs.

Vanesa.

[jcbcode99]

I have to say, before I stumbled upon this thread, that I did not know very much about Queen Fabiola, Queen Paola, Princess Lililan, or Queen Astrid. I have gone an information gathering spree and am just enthralled! What a story. Anyway, Queen Fabiola has some stunning pieces--I love them all. I think she is quite regal, and looks amazing in every picture I saw. And, in response to some of the posts--he husband was a very handsome man. And, that tiara he gave her for their wedding was one of the most beautiful I have seen.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by jcbcode99

And, that tiara he gave her for their wedding was one of the most beautiful I have seen.

Queen Fabiola was not given a diademe by her spouse. Her wedding-gift was a gift of the Spanish Government, presented to her by Madame Franco, spouse of the dictator.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

Queen Fabiola was not given a diademe by her spouse. Her wedding-gift was a gift of the Spanish Government, presented to her by Madame Franco, spouse of the dictator.

And here's Madame Franco, looking perhaps just a little too pleased with herself, presenting the tiara to Fabiola...

~ The Gift-Giving ~
v

[jcbcode99]

I stand corrected, and Warren, Madame Franco does look a little too impressed with herself--but then again, what a piece to give the Queen! I'd probably grinning, too (or sobbing because I have to give it away--I'll be that poor Madam Franco tried it on a couple times before presenting it to the Queen!)

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by jcbcode99

I stand corrected, and Warren, Madame Franco does look a little too impressed with herself--but then again, what a piece to give the Queen! I'd probably grinning, too (or sobbing because I have to give it away--I'll be that poor Madam Franco tried it on a couple times before presenting it to the Queen!)

Madame Franco, Doña Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdès was created Duquesa de Franco in 1975.

Her daughter Doña María del Carmen Franco y Polo married in 1950 with Don Cristobal Martínez-Bordíu, Marques de Villaverde. In 1975 she was created Duquesa de Franco.

Her granddaughter Doña María del Carmen Cristobal Martínez-Bordíu y Franco married in 1972 with HRH Don Alfonso de Borbón y Dampierre, Duque de Cadiz, Duc d'Anjou. Madame Franco hoped that this "operation" would lead to her granddaughter becoming Queen of Spain. By that time, her husband General Franco was greatly diminished, both physically and mentally. HRH Don Juan Carlos de Borbón y Borbón would ultimately succeed to the throne.

HRH Don Luis-Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordíu, Duque de Cadiz, Duc d'Anjou is a great-grandson of Madame Franco, one of the claimants to the Spanish throne.

Madame Franco liked to give expensive jewels. The present Floral Diademe in the Spanish royal family was a wedding-gift as well, to Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, the present Queen of Spain.

[Katrianna]

Thank you all for posting photos of the beautiful jewelry of Queen Fabiola. I was very pleased to see pictures of the Nine Provinces Diadem. I've read about it on other MB's, but for some reason couldn't bring up any pictures.
Henri, what was the reason for the cool relationship between Fabiola and Paola? This has probably been covered elsewhere in the Forum so forgive me for asking again. Thank you.

[Henri M.]

Simply a sort of non-matching characters, I think. No conflict or something like that.

You need to know that King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola were very, very, very devout Roman-Catholics. Queen Fabiola is still the living proof of a very ascetic living, deeply-religious and devout lady. King Baudouin looked very much the same as his sister Grand-Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, also an ascetic looking, devout and strict lady.

King Albert and Queen Paola, back then the Prince and Princess de Liège, were so total dfferent personalities. They had (and have) more joie de vivre and take life far more lighthearted.

The three children of King Albert and Queen Paola show the remarkable same pattern: the two eldest (Philippe and Astrid) are devout Catholics, (too) serious and 'heavy' while their younger brother (Laurent) is so much more loose in everything.

[Jaya]

Originally Posted by Vanesa

Queen Fabiola knew how to wear jewels, for sure! She was very regal and very simple at the same time..Well, it's a redundance, for being regal it's to be simple with elegance.

Vanessa I have to agree with what you say so articulately.
She wore those jewels so natuarlly like she was born in them or born to wear them absolutely and by the way her spectacular fur trimmed wedding gown was designed by Balenciaga.

[Hans]

I think it would be great to see once the wedding gift tiara worn without the fleurons, only the crown-base.

[Thomas Parkman]

Yes Warren, Madame Franco is certainly ginning better from ear to ear than anyone else I have seen lately. One would think that the grin is just about to meet at the back of her neck. And then there is this glittering bijoux hunk, emeralds (?) and all. A truly hilarious picture, to be treasured. BTW what on earth is the good Madame wearing about her neck. Popcorn???

As for trying the thing on, I for one am willing to bet the good woman wore the thing to bed for weeks before handing it over to the noble Fabiola. Cheers.

[Prince of Chota]

I realise I can't be the first to ask why the magnificent wedding gift tiara hasn't been seen in recent years. There's probably a simple answer, but Paola could really use it--it would look wonderful on her.

[Marengo]

I believe the last time it was seen as during the Spanish state visit to Belgium, a few years ago. It was one of the few (or the only) time Fabiola wore a tiara after her husbands death. It is Fabiola's personal property and holds some good memories -it was a wedding gift to her- so she might want to hold on to it :)

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I believe the last time it was seen as during the Spanish state visit to Belgium, a few years ago. It was one of the few (or the only) time Fabiola wore a tiara after her husbands death. It is Fabiola's personal property and holds some good memories -it was a wedding gift to her- so she might want to hold on to it :)

She wore it also at the return dinner of the Swedish State Visit in 2001 8recently there was a picture ion the GRMB) with the same dress like ther spanish State Visit 1 Year earlier.

[Prince of Chota]

Any guesses what is to become of it? Will it be bequeathed to the crown?

[Marengo]

She is free to do whatever she wants with it, but I wouldn' t be surprised if she left such an historic piece to CP Mathilde. Of course she can decide to leave it to other relatives (also from her side of the family) or even to have it sold and use the money for a good cause.

[Shadiyah2086]

Originally Posted by Marengo

She is free to do whatever she wants with it, but I wouldn' t be surprised if she left such an historic piece to CP Mathilde. Of course she can decide to leave it to other relatives (also from her side of the family) or even to have it sold and use the money for a good cause.

I hope she leaves the tiara and some of her other jewellery for her great nieces and for the wives of her great-nephews. The Belgians don't have a lot of jewellry, they could use a few more pieces.

[logansrest]

The tiara Queen Fabiola received from Spain upon her wedding really is a beautiful and versatile piece of jewellery. I prefer the flower combination of the tiara with whatever gems needed in the centre. I sincerely hope that whoever gets it in the future will appreciate it.

[SASSY]

There is still no foundation to protect the royal jewels in Belguim? Is it really not that important to them?

If there were such a foundation and Fabiola bequethed her jewels to the foundation, would there still be an inheritance tax?

[alterego]

People only talked about Marella Agnelli(nee Caracciolo di Castagneto) as a swan-necked beauty. I'd say, Queen Fabiola was(of course still is) also quite charming, who too has an elegant swanlike neck. :)