Queen Fabiola Jewellery

[Duc_et_Pair]

I hope they will go to Mathilde and eventually the little Duchess of Brabant but I've no idea honestly. I really pray that they stay within the Royal family.

Queen Fabiola was from the generation of royal women who wore jewels often and well. Many of her pieces were personal gifts from her late husband and are astonishingly beautiful. She had a set of sapphires in particular that make me drool.

It would be a travesty for those to be auctioned or sold outside the Royal family, imo.

At the other hand, it is "muy Fabiola" that everything goes to a good cause...



Seeing the Waterfall brooch on Queen Mathilde, I have the idea the jewels were already -on time- distributed to escape taxes and fragmentation.

 

[White Princess]

Then I suppose we'll never see those tiaras again.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Since she had no children and was not close to her spanish relatives, I think her jewels will stay with Mathilde.

On the contrary she was very close with her birth family. All of her siblings have passed on, but she maintained the closest most affectionate ties with her nieces and nephews in Spain.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Then I suppose we'll never see those tiaras again.

It could be possible that we will see them again, but of course I don't know for sure. Queen Fabiola could always leave them in her will for another family member, perhaps Queen Mathilde (as other members have said) or Princess Elisabeth for when she is of age, as it's my understanding that royal children are not allowed to access royal jewels until they are eighteen. It would be a nice nod to Queen Fabiola if Princess Elisabeth wore one of her tiaras on her wedding day in the future, but that's if a tiara of Queen Fabiola's will be passed on to her.

 

[JR76]

I am pretty sure those two articles are not the only reason why the Orange-Nassau are richer than the Belgian Coburg. Wise investment over the years, including large stock holdings in Dutch multinational companies like Royal Dutch Shell , also contributed to the family's wealth. On top of that, the Orange-Nassau may have been officially on the Dutch throne as monarchs since 1814 only, but the family's history goes way back. In fact, they have accumulated wealth since the Dutch golden age of the 17th century when the Princes of Orange were de facto hereditary heads of state in what was nominally the old Dutch "republic

Another reason must be that for two generations there was only one heir born to the royal house so everything went to first Queen Wilhelmina and then later to Queen Juliana.


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[Duc_et_Pair]

Another reason must be that for two generations there was only one heir born to the royal house so everything went to first Queen Wilhelmina and then later to Queen Juliana.


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Yes indeed, King Willem III outlived his younger brother Prince Alexander (no issue), his younger brother Prince Hendrik (no issue), his eldest son Prince Willem (no issue), his second son Prince Maurits (no issue), his youngest son Prince Alexander (no issue). Only his sister Princess Sophie got issue. This means that a great part of the fragmented Orange-Nassau patrimonium, including the jewels, came into the hands of one general heiress, Princess Wilhelmina, the King's youngest child. A part of the Orange-Nassau jewels still went lost for the House via Princess Sophie and is now in the Houses of Sachsen-Weimar, Reuss and Mecklenburg.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It could be possible that we will see them again, but of course I don't know for sure. Queen Fabiola could always leave them in her will for another family member, perhaps Queen Mathilde (as other members have said) or Princess Elisabeth for when she is of age, as it's my understanding that royal children are not allowed to access royal jewels until they are eighteen. It would be a nice nod to Queen Fabiola if Princess Elisabeth wore one of her tiaras on her wedding day in the future, but that's if a tiara of Queen Fabiola's will be passed on to her.

The Belgian media have reported that apparently Queen Fabiola has left her whole estate to the charity Oeuvres de la reine / Hulpfonds van de koningin. We will have to see what will happen with the jewelry.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

This is Queen Fabiola's mother posing with nice jewels in the staircase of their Madrid residence, the Palacio de Zurbano: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...adeAragon1.jpg

Her mother was Doña Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz, Barroeta Aldamar y Elio, daughter of the 6th Marchioness de Casa Torres.

 

[Tarlita]

The Belgium Royal Family are not very good at hanging onto their jewels. I sincerely hope the most important jewels are kept within the royal Family. The insignificant pieces won't be missed. They really need to start a Royal Collection of the most important jewels and ensure they stay with the monarchy and not be sold. There would be nothing worse than to see Kanye and Kim parading around in some dazzling piece naked.

 

[Tarlita]

Death duties and inheritance taxes are disgusting. My country got rid of these a very long time ago. I do not understand why progressive countries in Europe do not abolish these abhorrent taxes as well.

 

[SElizabeth]

The Belgium Royal Family are not very good at hanging onto their jewels. I sincerely hope the most important jewels are kept within the royal Family. The insignificant pieces won't be missed. They really need to start a Royal Collection of the most important jewels and ensure they stay with the monarchy and not be sold. There would be nothing worse than to see Kanye and Kim parading around in some dazzling piece naked.

Yikes that would be a disaster, she already thinks she is Queen of America and parades around in nothing but her bare bottom and top...please send them somewhere so that we don't have to hear from them ever again.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The Belgium Royal Family are not very good at hanging onto their jewels. I sincerely hope the most important jewels are kept within the royal Family. The insignificant pieces won't be missed. They really need to start a Royal Collection of the most important jewels and ensure they stay with the monarchy and not be sold.

That's true and it would be a great shame if Queen Fabiola's jewels were lost,a royal collection would be a great way of saving them,but who knows what fate awaits them.

 

[Tilia C.]

I hope that they have found a solution to keep the most important jewellery piece in the family.


The small Wolfers tiara would make a lovely first tiara for the Duchess of Brabant. And the trefoil leaf tiara was the most iconic piece of Queen Fabiola, it's a piece that should pass from Queen to Queen in the future, just like the 9 Provinces tiara.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The Belgian Royal Family are quite 'tiara poor' compared to the others,it would be a great shame if Queen Fabiola's tiaras were sold off.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

My fear is that thanks to the insane death tax in Belgium, and to the furor over Fabiola's Foundation a couple of years ago, the jewelry will indeed be sold off and liquidated as part of the late queen's fortune earmarked for charity.

I really, really hope that over the past few years she quietly began distributing her jewelry pieces to Mathilde. Queen Fabiola wore some truly spectacular gems as queen. If they remain in Belgium as part of the Royal collection, the Belgian Royals will finally have jewels at their disposal to rival the ones in Denmark and Luxembourg!

 

[Stefan]

I hope that they have found a solution to keep the most important jewellery piece in the family.


And the trefoil leaf tiara was the most iconic piece of Queen Fabiola, it's a piece that should pass from Queen to Queen in the future, just like the 9 Provinces tiara.

Even more so as she was given it because she married the King of the Belgians. And the wolfers tiara also makes a beautful diamond necklace.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Most of the gems Fabiola wore as queen came from her adored husband. I cannot imagine that she would not see to it that they remained in the family.

 

[Marengo]

Me neither. The reports mention her 'complete private possessions'. Maybe some items have been put in a fund before that? Apart from the jewels, I am sure that must be portraits and other items of King Boudouin that would be important for the family & country to keep.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

A few years ago French Point de Vue devoted a cover story on Fabiola's jewel collection. There were some emeralds that were only slightly smaller than Easter eggs. My mouth was never closed while I was looking at those photos..they were astonishing I can assure you.

Her jewels alone must be worth many millions. And then there are her furs and her property, namely Villa Astrida in Spain.

 

[Bine221]

My fear is that thanks to the insane death tax in Belgium, and to the furor over Fabiola's Foundation a couple of years ago, the jewelry will indeed be sold off and liquidated as part of the late queen's fortune earmarked for charity.

I really, really hope that over the past few years she quietly began distributing her jewelry pieces to Mathilde. Queen Fabiola wore some truly spectacular gems as queen. If they remain in Belgium as part of the Royal collection, the Belgian Royals will finally have jewels at their disposal to rival the ones in Denmark and Luxembourg!

Well, we already know about the Waterfall Brooch and the Earrings from the Maroccan Parure, that they have been worn by Mathilde. So I really, really really hope as well... especially the Leaf Tiara, the Wedding Gift from Franco, would be a great asset.

 

[Blue_]

Isn't it a tradition that family jewelry, even if someone owns it, has to be passed to someone else of the family?
E.g.: the jewels my aunt own, she also has no children, are to be inherited by my mother and then by me and my sisters.
You can't just sell or give away jewelry, it has to stay in the family. At least, I think so...

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Isn't it a tradition that family jewelry, even if someone owns it, has to be passed to someone else of the family?

E.g.: the jewels my aunt own, she also has no children, are to be inherited by my mother and then by me and my sisters.

You can't just sell or give away jewelry, it has to stay in the family. At least, I think so...

No they can sell the jewellery if it is their own (not owned by a foundation). That's why many nice pieces have disapeared over the years from many royal families and that's why the belgian royal family are very short of jewellery compared to other royal families.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Has there been any updates on what has happened to the jewels of the late Queen Fabiola?

 

[Arrjann]

Has there been any updates on what has happened to the jewels of the late Queen Fabiola?

She left all her possessions to charity, so I assume her jewels as well. I guess they'll be sold.


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[GömdNatt]

Has there been any updates on what has happened to the jewels of the late Queen Fabiola?

nothing that I've seen. I don't think we'll know for sure until something shows up on Mathilde or on the auction block.

 

[Tilia C.]

nothing that I've seen. I don't think we'll know for sure until something shows up on Mathilde or on the auction block.

I agree, and I think that it will take a long time till Mathilde wears something of Fabiola, or till the charity organizes an auction. With such a large legacy it must take quite a while to organize an auction.

If the late queen had given away her jewels during her lifetime, she would probably not have given everything to the same person (Mathilde). But with some good luck, Queen Fabiola has gifted some jewels to the various members of the family during her lifetime. So pieces of her could resurface in years to come on Mathilde as well on Astrid, Claire, and later on the Duchess of Brabant and the other girls of her generation.

(I won't give up hope)

 

[GömdNatt]

I agree, and I think that it will take a long time till Mathilde wears something of Fabiola, or till the charity organizes an auction. With such a large legacy it must take quite a while to organize an auction.

If the late queen had given away her jewels during her lifetime, she would probably not have given everything to the same person (Mathilde). But with some good luck, Queen Fabiola has gifted some jewels to the various members of the family during her lifetime. So pieces of her could resurface in years to come on Mathilde as well on Astrid, Claire, and later on the Duchess of Brabant and the other girls of her generation.

(I won't give up hope)

that's true. Claire likes small tiaras, so it'd be nice to see her with the Wolfers necklace tiara. Plus Fabiola had some lovely other pieces.

Fingers crossed we'll find out sooner rather than later! lol

 

[leidi]

Maybe she left the jewels to the Crown, so that all the females in the royal family can wear them (Mathilde would have first dibs of course)

 

[Arrjann]

If the late queen had given away her jewels during her lifetime, she would probably not have given everything to the same person (Mathilde). But with some good luck, Queen Fabiola has gifted some jewels to the various members of the family during her lifetime. So pieces of her could resurface in years to come on Mathilde as well on Astrid, Claire, and later on the Duchess of Brabant and the other girls of her generation.

(I won't give up hope)

In this scenario, I think she would definitely have given something to her niece Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein as well. They were very close.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

that's true. Claire likes small tiaras, so it'd be nice to see her with the Wolfers necklace tiara. Plus Fabiola had some lovely other pieces.

[...]

How do you know? Maybe Claire would have loved big whoppers with glittering diamonds as well.... She just had to wear what was available for her, and that were small poor quality diadems. It says nothing about her personal preference.