Earlier this month, a long-unseen royal tiara returned to the public eye after decades when Elvira Oetker, a close friend of Queen Máxima married into the Oetker Family, wore Queen Margherita of Italy’s Sapphire Floral Tiara to the German State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam!
The magnificent Sapphire and Diamond Floral Tiara dates from around 1850, when Princess Elisabeth of Saxony married Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Genoa. The Tiara can be broken down to be worn as seven separate Brooches.
In 1868, the Duchess of Genoa gave her Sapphire and Diamond Floral Tiara a as a wedding gift to her only daughter, Princess Margherita of Savoy, when she married the future King Umberto I of Italy.
While the Tiara was never publicly worn, it remained an heirloom of the House of Savoy for the next century, until it was auctioned off by one of Queen Margherita’s granddaughters at Christie’s in London in March 1967, following which it disappeared from public view and many suspected had been disassembled.
However, at some point in the past two decades, Queen Margherita of Italy’s Sapphire Floral Tiara was acquired by the Oetker Family, the prominent German Business Family who own Dr. Oetker among other brands.
Now, the Sapphire and Diamond Floral Tiara was worn by Elvira Oetker, née Donna Elvira Grimaldi di Nixima of the Genovese Grimaldi di Nixima family, for the the German State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Elvira Oetker is also a close friend of Queen Máxima.
Dutch Royal Correspondent Rick Evers identified Elvira’s Tiara as Queen Margherita’s long lost Sapphire and Diamond Floral Tiara, and along with jewellery historian Martijn Akkerman, uncovered the Tiara’s history. Lets hope we see this spectacular Tiara worn again soon!
