Today marks the 180th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Elisabeth of Romania, who was born on this day in 1843! The artistic first Romanian Queen who was a prolific writer under the name Carmen Sylva, Queen Elisabeth’s Pearl Tiara was her most spectacular jewel!
Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik | Romanian Massin Tiara | Diamond Loop Tiara | Pearl Tiara | Cartier Sapphire Pendant | Diamond Sautoir
When the reigning Prince Carol of Romania married Princess Elisabeth of Wied in 1869, the bride received this spectacular Pearl and Diamond Tiara, featuring 16 large upright pearls, made by Oscar Massin, from the Romania Aristocratic Ladies Association.
Prince Carol became King of Romania in 1881, but the Tiara was worn on numerous occasions and for official portraits by Queen Elisabeth through the 1870s and 1880s, following which the Queen largely retired to purse her her writing, under the name Carmen Sylva.
King Carol and Queen Elisabeth had no surviving children, so his heir was his nephew, Prince Ferdinand, who had married Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In the late 1900s, Queen Elisabeth gave the Massin Tiara to Crown Princess Marie who wore it for numerous portraits soon afterwards.
Crown Princess Marie wore Queen Elisabeth’s Massin Tiara through the early 1910s, especially as events left to King Carol’s death and King’s Ferdinand’s Accession.
With the outbreak of the First World War, which Romania joined in 1916, Queen Marie sent all of jewels, including Queen Elisabeth’s Massin Tiara, along with Romania’s gold reserves to Russia for safekeeping, especially as much of Romania was soon occupied and the Royal Family had to retreat to Moldavia. However, while Romania emerged victorious from the War and almost doubled its territory, thanks to Queen Marie’s efforts, Russia had undergone their Revolutions, and the Bolsheviks had confiscated Queen Marie’s Jewels, which were never returned. Efforts to recover the jewels have been made as recently as 2018, but their eventual fate is unknown. Queen Marie later recalled:
I took a quite childish pleasure in my new dresses and beautiful jewels. Mama had been extraordinarily prodigal, giving many of her own magnificent Russian gems. These have all now been annexed by the Bolsheviks. It was difficult to realise that they were all mine.
To replace her jewellery collection, Queen Marie had to acquire the Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik, a Pearl Tiara, a massive Cartier Sapphire Pendant and a Diamond Sautoir among other jewels.
Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik | Romanian Massin Tiara | Fringe Tiara | Diamond Loop Tiara | Pearl Tiara | Cartier Sapphire Pendant | Diamond Sautoir
