Happy Birthday to Infanta Leonor, The Princess of Asturias, who turns 18 today! The Heir to the Spanish Throne, who is set to become the first Spanish Queen Regnant since 1862, is expected to soon start wearing the impressive pieces from the Family’s Jewellery Collection. Today we are featuring the most substantial piece that HRH has already borrowed from her mother’s Jewellery Collection, the Aquamarine Drop Earrings!
With the Princess of Asturias’ 18th Birthday Celebrations approaching, we believe this is the perfect moment to review what happened 37 years ago, on the 30th of January of 1986, when Don Felipe, the then Prince of Asturias, reached his Majority of Age.
Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who was born on this day in 1887! Queen Ena had a splendid jewellery collection, pilled with family heirlooms and contemporary acquisitions and commissions. Many of her jewels still remain with the Spanish Royal Family and are now worn by Queen Sofia and Queen Letizia but today we are featuring an exquisite piece which was left to a different branch of the family!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Amélie of Portugal, who passed away on this day in 1951! The exiled Orléans Princess who married the Portuguese King, witnessed the assassination of her husband & son, & was then exiled for the remaining four decades of her life, Queen Amelie wore some spectacular Jewels, which included the Portuguese Crown Sapphires!
Happy Birthday to Queen Letizia of the Spain, who is celebrating her 51st Birthday today! Although the Queen is the current main wearer of the historic pieces from the Spanish Jewel Vault, HM has also worn several modern jewels from her personal collection. To mark her birthday, we are featuring one of those modern acquisitions, the Ansorena Diamond and Pearl Tiara!
Last week, it was revealed that several Jewels from the Estate of the late Countess of Paris are going on Auction in Paris, the highlight of which is the Orléans Diamond Comb, the versatile two-centuries old Heirloom from the Princess of Joinville which was one of the last remaining Orléans Heirlooms.
Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Queen María Cristina of Spain, who was born on this day in 1858! The Austrian Archduchess, from the Habsburg-Teschen branch, who become the second wife of King Alfonso XII before serving as Spain’s Regent for 17 years after his premature death, ‘Doña Virtudes’ was known for her strong religious beliefs, austerity and staidness. Despite that, she had a great interest in jewellery, possessing a splendid collection that comprised, among many other things, several tiaras with naturalistic motifs, so to mark her 165th birthday today, we are featuring all of Queen María Cristina’s Floral Tiaras!
Tomorrow, Tamara Falcó, Marchioness of Griñón will marry Iñigo Onieva in a grand ceremony in the El Rincón Palace. The daughter of the late Carlos Falcó, Marquess of Griñón and socialite Isabel Preysler, in 2020, Tamara became the VI Marchioness of Griñón, a title created by Queen Isabella II in 1862. As a granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Montellano, from one of the most prominent Spanish aristocratic families, Tamara has several heirloom tiaras to choose from for her big day, which we are featuring today!
Happy Birthday to Doña Matilde Solis-Beaumont, who turns 60 today! The Spanish aristocrat who was once married to the current Duke of Alba, and is the mother of the Duke of Huéscar and the Count of Osorno. To mark the Anniversary, we are taking a look at an heirloom from her own family, the La Motilla Sapphire Tiara!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who passed away on this day in 1969! The elegant Queen had a splendid and diverse jewellery collection, piled with family heirlooms, as well as contemporary acquisitions and commissions. Some of her jewels remained within the Spanish Royal Family, and are now worn by Queen Letizia but today we are featuring an exquisite piece, whose fate and current whereabouts are involved in mystery: her Turquoise Tiara, which was featured previously, but now has much more additional information that we can now reveal!
Royal Guests and Relatives gathered from around Europe to join the Spanish Royal Family for rhe Funeral of HRH Don Juan of Borbón and Battenberg, Count of Barcelona on this day, 30 years ago. For several years, the Count battled stoically against laryngeal cancer, which eventually defeated him. He died in a hospital in the city of Pamplona with his son, King Juan Carlos I, daughter-in-law, Queen Sofia, elder daughter, Infanta Pilar, and younger daughter, Infanta Margarita, at his bedside. Continue reading
Happy Birthday to Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria and Hernani, who turns 84 today! As the younger sister of King Juan Carlos and the aunt of King Felipe, she has attended a plethora of glittering events over the decades, and to mark her birthday, we are taking a look at her Topaz Suite!
Happy Birthday to Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, who turns 83 today! The middle daughter of Italy’s last sovereign, “il Re di Maggio”, who has dedicated her life to preserving the history and legacy of the House of Savoy. Throughout the years, the dashing Princess has worn many family heirloom jewels, as well as modern acquisitions, and commissions. To mark the day, we are featuring a very meaningful heirloom: the Diamond and Pearl Bracelet Tiara!
Today marks the 55th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza, the Duchess of Braganza who passed away on this day in 1968. The daughter of Prince Pedro de Alcântara, the Heir Apparent to the Brazilian Imperial Throne, who renounced his succession rights to marry a Czech Countess, Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz, Maria Francisca was a younger sister of the Countess of Paris and Prince Pedro Gastão. In 1942, she married Duarte Nuno of Braganza, a Pretender to the defunct Portuguese Throne, so to mark the occasion, we are featuring her versatile Diamond Bandeau!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of the Countess of Barcelona, mother of King Juan Carlos I and grandmother of King Felipe VI, who passed away in Lanzarote on this day in 2000! The Bourbon-Two-Sicilies Princess who was the de-jure Queen Consort of Spain, the Countess had a magnificent jewellery collection, full of family heirlooms and modern acquisitions, from which we are featuring her Diamond Earrings today!
In the month of June, the Portuguese Royal Treasure Museum finally opened its doors after years of waiting. The city of Lisbon now has a new cultural sight which is housed in one of the largest safes in the world, divided by 3 floors and equipped with a sophisticated security system. It gives permanent display to a unique collection of important heritage value, with over one thousand pieces, comprising jewellery, insignia, decorations, coins, and pieces of civil and religious gold-smithery, and so assistant editor, David Rato, has written about the splendid exhibition after his visit! Continue reading
Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Margaret of Denmark and Bourbon-Parma, who passed on this day in 1992. King Christian IX’s last surviving granddaughter, who was related to almost all European royals both by birth and marriage, and the mother of Queen Anne of Romania, the ‘Smiling Princess’ was generous and beloved but notoriously impoverished, so to mark the occasion, we are featuring her Pearl Earrings! Continue reading
Queen Letizia of the Spain will be celebrating her 50th Birthday tomorrow! Having access to the Spanish Jewellery collection, Queen Letizia has worn many pieces from sizeable personal collection of her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia, as well as a variety of heirloom jewels, so to mark her birthday, we have been featuring the most prominent of those Jewels, ending with the Spanish Fleur-de-Lys Tiara!
Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Victoria Louise, Duchess of Brunswick, who was born on this day in 1892! The Kaiser’s only daughter who married the Head of the House of Hanover and spent a long life at the centre of German Royal and Noble circles, to mark the anniversary, we are finally featuring her Prussian Diamond Tiara, which also ties in with our ongoing coverage of the Jewels of Queen Letizia of Spain!
