Happy 20th Anniversary to Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium, who got married on this day in 2003! The British-Belgian bride received some splendid gifts when she married the youngest son of King Albert and Queen Paola, the most spectacular of which was her Wedding Tiara!
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, on their two-day State Visit to The Netherlands on April 11th and 12th to promote and celebrate diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties, and deepening of cooperation, in which France and the Netherlands strive for a stronger, greener and safer Europe. The Dutch King and Queen went on a State Visit to France in 2014.
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Empress Auguste Viktoria of Germany, who died on this day in 1921! The last Kaiserin of Germany, the Empress possessed a plethora of important jewels, of which not much is publicly known, so to mark the day, we are featuring the splendid Prussian Aquamarine Earrings!
The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family attended the annual Easter Sunday Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 9th, which is also the Anniversary of the Wedding of the King and Queen and the Death of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.
Today marks the 70th Anniversary of the Wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium, who got married on this day in 1953! The Belgian Princess received many spectacular jewels, when she married the Heir of the world’s only Grand Duchy, and since we have already featured the Belgian Scroll Tiara, today we are featuring the jewel worn for the wedding, the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara!
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
King Charles III, the Head of the Church of England, and Queen Camilla presided over their first Royal Maundy Service at York Minster on April 6th. Last year, the then Prince of Wales represented the Queen at the Royal Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Continue reading
It has recently been announced that next month, Christie’s Geneva will be auctioning the collection of the late philanthropist and billionaire art collector, Heidi Goess-Horten, which is said to be the largest and most valuable private jewellery collection to ever come to auction. The highlight of the sale is the legendary ‘Briolette of India’ Diamond.
Today marks the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, who was born on this day in 1863! Queen Victoria’s Hessian granddaughter who was the sister of the last Empress of Russia and married her Battenberg Cousin, becoming the mother of Earl Mountbatten and Queen Louise of Sweden, and the grandmother of the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria possessed some spectacular jewels, including the Hesse Sapphire Necklace!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria of Sweden, who died on this day in 1930! Born Princess Viktoria of Baden, she brought a plethora of jewels into the Swedish Royal Family when she married the future King Gustav V of Sweden in 1881, including this Pearl and Diamond Ivy Brooch!
Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk, who was born on this day in 1893! The granddaughter, niece and cousin of Kings, who was made a Princess by King Edward VII, and married a Scottish Earl, Princess Maud possessed some spectacular Royal Heirlooms, including Queen Alexandra’s Sapphire Necklace!
Royalty from around Europe joined the Greek Royal Family in Athens for the magnificent Funeral of King George I of Greece at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens on this day in 1913, following the Assassination of the first Greek King just days before his Golden Jubilee.
Happy Birthday to Princess Gabriele zu Leiningen, the former Begum Inaara Aga Khan, who turns 60 today! The influential German Socialite who was married to a Prince of Leiningen before becoming the second wife of the Aga Khan, Princess Inaara auctioned many jewels from her spectacular at Christie’s in 2016, which included this striking heirloom Pearl and Diamond Fringe Necklace!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire, who was born on this day in 1920! The youngest of the infamous Mitford sisters who married 12th Duke of Devonshire and made Chatsworth House into a glorious tourist destination, the Duchess possessed some spectacular Heirlooms of the Cavendish Family, but also added quite a few heirlooms into the collection, including the Craven Brooch!
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, who died on this day in 2002! The Scottish Aristocrat who unexpectedly became the popular wartime Queen and then the beloved Queen Mother for half a century, we have featured many of her jewels over the years and to mark the day today, we are featuring the Queen Mother’s Sapphire Brooch!
King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom are on a State Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany from March 29th to March 31st, at the invitation of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and at the request of the British Government. This is the first outgoing State Visit of the new Reign and the first outgoing British State visit since 2015, which was incidentally, also to Germany. Continue reading
As King Charles and Queen Camilla begin their State Visit to Germany today, we are featuring an over view of all the previous British Royal Visits to Germany over the past six decades celebrating the Anglo-German Alliance since the end of the Second World War.
Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, who passed away on this day in 1965! The only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary who married into the prominent Aristocratic Family, Princess Mary had an enormous jewellery collection, most of which has been sold in the years since her passing, though today’s piece is unique in having been sold during her life time: The Russian Sapphire Devant de Corsage!
