Good news, everybody–I had a minute to sneak in some tiara chatter this afternoon, and we had two spectacular ones on display in Belgium today! Here’s a closer look at the jewels worn by Queen Mathilde and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa during this evening’s state banquet at the Palace of Laeken.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg officially began their state visit with the King and Queen of the Belgians on Tuesday, cementing an important diplomatic relationship and enjoying a family reunion at the same time. Grand Duke Henri and King Philippe are first cousins, both grandchildren of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of Belgium. Henri’s mother, the late Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte, and Philippe’s father, King Albert II, were siblings. Coincidentally, today is also Grand Duke Henri’s birthday–plenty of celebrations all around.
The first day of the state visit culminated with a grand state banquet at the Palace of Laeken. Both sovereigns wore military uniforms with orders and decorations, and their wives were elegant in gala attire. Henri and Maria Teresa wore the insignia of Belgium’s Order of Leopold, while Philippe and Mathilde wore the insignia of Luxembourg’s Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau.
With her black and pink ensemble, Maria Teresa very appropriately wore a selection of jewels from the family vaults that are connected to her late mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte.
When Princess Josephine-Charlotte left Belgium in 1953 to marry Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, she received a bounty of jewelry gifts. Among them was this classic diamond scroll tiara. It was a wedding present from the Société Générale, a French bank. Made by Henry Coosemans, the diamond and platinum jewel is generally called the Belgian Scroll Tiara. Above, Josephine-Charlotte wears the tiara in one of the formal portraits taken after the couple’s wedding ceremony–an occasion that offered a fair bit of royal drama.
The tiara has become a particular favorite of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in the years since her mother-in-law’s passing. For this Belgian banquet, she paired it with the aquamarine and diamond earrings, necklace, and bracelet from another suite of jewelry that belonged to Josephine-Charlotte. The set is also thought to have been commissioned around the time of her royal wedding in the 1950s. The bracelet adds versatility to the suite, as it can be mounted on a frame to be worn as a bandeau-style tiara. She’s also wearing a second aquamarine and diamond bracelet on her right wrist.
The brooch with which Maria Teresa secured her order sash is also a Luxembourgish royal treasure. The family owns at least three glittering, naturalistic rose brooches, all of which were in the Nassau family collection by the 1850s.
Queen Mathilde shimmered in an ice blue evening gown and plenty of diamonds for the banquet. Her tiara also shares a special link to the cousins’ family history.
The Nine Provinces Tiara, as it is usually called, was one of the wedding presents given to Henri and Philippe’s grandmother, Queen Astrid, in 1926. Made by Van Bever, it was offered to the Swedish-born Astrid on behalf of the Belgian people, a sort of welcome present from her new nation.
The tiara is an interesting piece, able to be worn in a variety of different settings and forms. Since Astrid’s death, it has remained with the main line of the Belgian royal family, and it’s been worn by each queen consort who has followed in her footsteps. Above, Queen Fabiola wears the tiara for a papal audience at the Vatican in June 1961.
During King Albert II’s reign, Queen Paola was the sole wearer of the special tiara. She’s wearing it above in a photograph taken during a previous Luxembourgish state visit to Belgium in March 2007.
Queen Mathilde has been the tiara’s custodian and wearer since her husband’s accession to the throne a decade ago. For this evening’s state banquet, she paired it with pieces of diamond jewelry from her personal collection: a y-shaped diamond necklace and a pair of diamond ribbon earrings.
Enjoy this unexpectedly early look at today’s state banquet jewels, everybody! I’ll see you back here tomorrow for a look at the Spanish state visit jewels in the Netherlands–including Princess Amalia’s state banquet tiara debut!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.