Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta, who passed away on this day in 1974! The Greek Princess, the sister of three Kings and a Queen, who married an Italian Prince and became the short-lived Queen of Croatia, Princess Irene possessed some spectacular Royal Heirlooms, including this Diamond Giglio Brooch!
Diamond Tiara | Empress Frederick’s Pearl Earrings | Diamond Giglio Brooch
When Princess Hélène of Orléans married Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta in 1895, she received several spectacular Wedding Gifts which included a Diamond Brooch that could be worn as a brooch or a hair ornament from the ladies of Florence, received alongside the Savoy Knot and Star Tiara and Orléans Emerald Necklace. While the Fleur-de-Lys is the symbol of the House of Bourbon, this Brooch represents the Giglio of Florence, the flag of the Republic of Florence between 1250 and 1532, which features a stylized red iris, commonly referred to as the giglio.
The Duchess of Aosta was most notably pictured wearing the Diamond Giglio Brooch as an Aigrette for a portrait by Giacomo Grosso in 1898, which hangs at the Castello de La Mandria.
In the late 1930s, Princess Hélène gave the Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch to Princess Irene of Greece, who had gotten engaged to her son, Prince Aimone, Duke of Spoleto. Princess Irene notably wore the Brooch for the the Wedding of her brother, Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover in 1938 and the Christening of her niece, Queen Sofia of Spain, in 1939.
Princess Irene’s sister, Queen Helen of Romania, also owned an identical Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Brooch, which some suspect might have been the same Brooch, which could have been acquired by Queen Helen from the Duchess of Aosta in the mid-1930s, and loaned out to her sister.
After her Wedding, Princess Irene, who became the Duchess of Aosta and the short-lived Queen of Croatia, wore the Diamond Giglio Brooch for a series of portraits along with her Diamond Tiara and Empress Frederick’s Diamond Earrings. While she was interned by the Nazis in the later years of the Second World War, the Brooch was likely among her jewels that were wrapped in a newspaper and lay under the bed of her chauffeur in Rome.
After the War, Princess Irene frequently wore the Diamond Giglio Brooch with her Diamond Tiara, including for King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, the Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, and the Greek Monarchy Centenary Gala at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1963.
Also in 1963, Princess Irene wore the Diamond Giglio for the Wedding of Princess Alexandra of Kent and the Hon. Angus Ogilvy at Westminster Abbey.
The following year, Princess Irene wore the Diamond Giglio Brooch with Empress Frederick’s Pearl Earrings for the Wedding of her only son, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, to Princess Claude of France in Portugal, which was its last notable appearance.
Following her death, Princess Irene’s Diamond Tiara was sold at auction, while the Savoy Knot and Star Tiara and Empress Frederick’s Diamond Earrings remain with the current Duke of Aosta, but the fate of the Diamond Giglio Brooch is unknown!
Queen Helen’s Fleur-de-Lys Brooch, which some suspect might have been the same Brooch, remains in the possession of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania.
Diamond Tiara | Empress Frederick’s Pearl Earrings | Diamond Giglio Brooch
