Savoy-Aosta Bandeau Tiara

Two days ago, Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg wore a Diamond Bandeau Tiara at her Wedding to Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon, which was unknown by many people. With both the bride and groom coming from the illustrious Habsburg, Napoléon, Savoy, Aosta, Bourbon Two-Scillies, Arco-Zinneberg, and Orleans Royal Families, among others, there were a multitude of options about the provenance of the Tiara. Ahead of the wedding, we took a look at some of the family heirlooms, including the Savoy-Aosta Tiara (not to be confused with the Savoy Aosta Knot and Star Tiara or the Tiaras of the House of Savoy) and the Austria-Este Tiara, but Countess Olympia wore another rarely seen Heirloom.

Composed as a dense, diamond wreath in a late 19th century, the piece was originally as a choker, most likely given as a wedding gift to Princess Hélène of Orleans when she married the 2nd Duke of Aosta, a cousin of the King of Italy, in 1895. A rarely worn piece, when styles changed, the Duchess of Aosta wore the piece as a Bandeau Tiara, most notably for a visit to Pope Pius XI at the Vatican in the 1920s. The Duchess wore the Knot and Star Tiara for a later visit in 1941.

After the Duchess’ death in 1951, the Choker/Bandeau ended up with her granddaughter, Princess Margherita of Savoy, who married the Archduke of Austria-Este, son of the last Emperor and Empress of Austria, in 1953, and while it was not pictured on Princess Margherita, it was worn as a choker by her youngest daughter, Archduchess Isabella, when she married Count Andrea Czarnocki-Lucheschi in 1997, who wore the Austria-Este Tiara.

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The piece remained unworn until being worn by Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg at her Wedding to Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon in Paris on the 19th. Originally worn by a the daughter of the Orléans Pretender to the French Throne, it was a meaningful choice that the Choker/Bandeau was worn by her great-great-granddaughter for her wedding to the Napoléonic Pretender to the French Throne. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the Bandeau and other Savoy/Austria-Este Heirlooms more frequently, as the other grandchildren of Princess Margherita (whose property it remains) reach marriageable age.

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