Happy 40th Anniversary to Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who got married on this day in 1981! The Consort of the world’s only Grand Duchy, the Grand Duchess has access to an enormous collection of heirloom jewels, but to mark the Anniversary, we are featuring a very personal and sentimental piece- Grand Duchess Maria Theresa’s Wedding Earrings!
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Featuring a large single diamond suspended from a diamond cluster with two small lines of diamonds, the earrings were a Wedding Gift from Cuban Aristocrats José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez and Maria Teresa Batista y Falla to their daughter Maria-Teresa Mestre y Batista when she married the Heir to the world’s only Grand Duchy, and were paired with the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara (the wedding tiara of Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte) for the Wedding Day.
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The Diamond Wedding Earrings were one of Hereditary Grand Duchess Maria Theresa’s most worn jewels during the 1980s and 1990s, being worn with many Luxembourg Royal Tiaras, at a plethora of important occasions, including Princess Margaretha’s Pre-Wedding Ball in 1982, the Belgian State Visit to Luxembourg in 1994, Prince Guillaume’s Pre-Wedding Dinner in 1994, the Wedding of Prince Franz Josef von Auersperg-Trautson and Archduchess Maria Constanza of Austria, and Infanta Elena’s Pre-Wedding Gala in 1995. Since becoming Grand Duchess, the earrings were most notably worn for a State Visit from Spain in 2006.
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Grand Duchess Maria Theresa has tried to continue the wedding tradition within her own family. In 2012, Countess Stephanie de Lannoy wore the earrings and the Grand Ducal Vine Leaves Tiara for the Ball at the Grand Ducal Palace on the eve of her Wedding to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. The following day, she paired them with the Lannoy Tiara from her own family as she became the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
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The following year, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa’s Wedding Earrings were also worn by Claire Lademacher with the Grand Ducal Vine Leaves Tiara when she married Prince Félix of Luxembourg in France.
The Grand Duchess has also loaned her Wedding Earrings to her only daughter, and they were worn by Princess Alexandra with the Chaumet Pearl and Diamond Choker Tiara at the 2016 National Day Gala. There is no doubt we will continue to see these Family Heirlooms worn by ladies of the Grand Ducal Family for years to come!
This is a lovely pair of earrings. They are substantial without being overwhelming and look very comfortable to wear. Mr. and Mrs.Mestre had great taste when they chose this pair for their daughter. Congratulations to the Grand Duke and Duchess on achieving such a significant anniversary! I wish them continued joy! 🙂
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