Belgian Royal Jewels of the Past


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Agree for the Pearl tiara , Princess Napoleon is still living , she wore jewels in the past.
 
The Pearl & Diamond Tiara would have been a lovely historic tiara for queen Mathilde had it remained or found its way by to the Belgian jewel collection.
 
Alas no , Princess Clementine is from the main branch as daughter of King Leopold II , she kept her jewels
She married Prince Napoleon and had two Children Louis Napoleon and Marie Clothlde who married Serge de Witt.. The Princess Alix Napoleon is still living , she wore family jewels in the past but jewels were stolen for 50.000 euros. A conflit in the family made Prince Napoleon Grandson Heir of the House instaed of his Father. At his Wedding the bride wore an Aoste Claps.
 
Another really lovely Belgian tiara was Queen Astrid's Emerald and Diamond Tiara
Sadly it no longer with the Belgian RF and it was last seen in the late 1950's and is believed to have been sold off by the The Princess de Réthy.
Queen Astrid’s Emerald Tiara
 
CyrilVladisla said:
:previous: Which company made the Emerald Tiara?
Click to expand...
Its origins are unknown other than it was gifted by King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium to Princess Astrid, Duchess of Brabant, upon the birth of her son Prince Baudouin in 1930.
 
The Pearl and Diamond tiara of Countess of Flanders , sadly also sold off and now in a museum in Qatar.
Another splendid Belgian tiara that could have been bought possibly back !
Countess of Flanders’ Pearl Tiara
 
:previous: The Cartier Diamond Tiara would have been a marvelous tiara for Princess Elisabeth!
 
Stefan said:
It is so depressing to look into this Thread and see what the belgian RF once had an Jewels and what is now lost
Click to expand...
Especially considering that they lost most of them as the result of the Princess of Rethy action. I don't understand her need to sell her husband first wife (and her mother in law) tiaras.
 
Queen Elisabeth tiara should never go to King Leopold III , because he and his wife will never be rceived at the Belgian Court. After Leopold III passed away , Princess Lilian sold it to Cartier. Her sister married Jacques Cartier.
Queen Marie José took the 79 jewels of her Mother , she sold some and her Daughter Marie Gabrielle also.
 
The tiara was not sold directly to Cartier but was bought at auction by Cartier, big difference.

I never understood why some are still moaning about the supposed "betrayal" of Lilian by selling all these jewels. They were legally hers and judging by the way that she was totally blacklisted from 1960 by her own stepchildren, you couln't expect a nice gift from her at the end of the road.

Way too easy to blame her for everything.
 
Considering the state of Argenteuil at the end, I imagine Lilian simply needed the money indeed.
 
Stefan said:
It is so depressing to look into this Thread and see what the belgian RF once had an Jewels and what is now lost
Click to expand...
Indeed it is and many of them very historic pieces too.
The current queen is however trying to rebuild the family jewels ,her mother in law didn't seem too bothered by the paltry collection.
 
Maybe she also wanted to avoid her children having to need to pay a lot of inheritance tax.

The Belgian history didn’t do good at building a large collection. Belgian Princesses marrying off to other aristocratic or royal houses and taking their gifts or inheritances . The main line jumped to times to a nephew and brother. Queen Astrid dying very young maybe without a plan for her jewels. No King or Queen established a foundation for their jewelry.
When Fabiola attempted to set up a foundation for her inheritance she was stopped because it was viewed as tax evasion.
 
What's interesting about Queen Astrid jewels is that Belgian inheritance law, at that time, doesn't include a large portion for the spouse. Leopold III only had a right to 1/2 of the property that was considered commonly owned, so owned by both not just Astrid. That should have resulted in a significant amount of Astrid's jewelry going directly to her 3 children but it doesn't look like that's what happened
 
Its a shame that no royal foundation was established for the historic jewels in the past and as a result so much was lost.
 
An Ard Ri said:
How do other royal houses manage to retain their jewels then?
Click to expand...
I think therefore the different foundation to avoid inheritance taxes or split ups. But then it depends on the inheritance laws of the different countries. Like for example in the UK there is no inheritance by inheritance from Monarch to Monarch.
 
To me and this is the end , so much hate among the belgian Royals.
I will not come back to 1960 King Baudouin and King Leopold III banned in Argenteuil with the laeken furniture.. But Queen Elisabeth wo loved Leopold and specially Liilian was by their side. She must not like Queen Fabiola and Leopold asked the Cartier tiara and she gave it to him knowing that it will never be worn and seen in Belgium.
Nico is right , the tiara was bought at Cartier in an Auction , they were so glad to have it back in their Collection.
 
Stefan said:
I think therefore the different foundation to avoid inheritance taxes or split ups. But then it depends on the inheritance laws of the different countries. Like for example in the UK there is no inheritance by inheritance from Monarch to Monarch.
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with Belgian law but could King Baudouin could have set up a Royal Foundation?
 
Not possible , when he was alive , Princess lilian still had Queen Astrid private jewels. She sold some when Leopold III passed away.
and when Queen Elisabeh passed away , she left 79 private jewels and Queen Marie José took them all except the Cartier tiara as she was the only daughter.
 
An Ard Ri said:
Its a shame that no royal foundation was established for the historic jewels in the past and as a result so much was lost.
Click to expand...
When Queen Marie-Henriette died in 1902, she left several of her jewels to be made Crown Jewels, but her wish was ignored by her husband King Leopold. He later tried to put them in a family foundation, to stop them from going to their three daughters who had to sue both their father and the government to get their maternal inheritance.
 
JR76 , yes you are well informed , she was our only Queen who left her jewels to be made Crown jewels
but alas ignored by King Leopold II . Only Princesses Louise and Stephanie sued their Father without succes. He liked his third Daughter Princess Clementine , but He refused her to marry Prince Napoleon . She married him when her Father passsed away. The very old Princess Napoleon has some belgian jewels but what is left since a lot were stolen .
 
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