Bonus Reading: The Royal Jewels of the Court of Queen Maria Cristina

Today’s royal history tale at Hidden Gems focuses on the Connaught family’s visit to Spain in 1905, which did not, surprisingly, include a meeting between the princesses and the eligible King. As bonus reading today, we’ve got a look at the royal jewels worn at the Spanish court during this period, which was marked by the influence of the monarch’s powerful mother, Queen Maria Cristina.

“God Grant We See You a Spanish Queen”: The Courtship of Princesses Margaret and Patricia of Connaught (Part 3)
[Hidden Gems Exclusive]

After a lavish welcome in Portugal, the prospect of a marriage between a Connaught princess and the King of Spain was met with less fanfare—and a formidable maternal obstacle.

The Spanish Royal Family’s Sparkling Floral Wreath Tiara—with British Bejeweled Roots!

This tiara originally belonged to an important Spanish royal matriarch. Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, the second wife of King Alfonso XII, was born an Austrian archduchess. Her royal marriage was a brief one, lasting just six years until her husband’s death in 1885. But the royal wedding was celebrated in grand style with plenty of jewelry.

The Spanish Diamond Loop Tiara

For a royal family that has faced serious upheaval over the last century, the Borbons of Spain have managed to hang on to some serious heirloom tiaras. That’s been possible in part because the family has largely maintained personal possession of their jewels rather than consigning them to an official collection of crown jewels. It also means that many tiaras, like the Spanish Diamond Loop Tiara, meandered a bit through the family before arriving in the hands of their current owners.

Queen Sofia’s Heirloom Mellerio Diamonds and Pearls

For a dinner in honor of the President of Argentina in 2009, Queen Sofia of Spain wore two important jewels connected to Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, the wife of King Alfonso XII and mother of King Alfonso XIII.

The Mellerio Shell Tiara

Of all the diadems in royal vaults, the regal tiaras created by Mellerio dits Meller frequently rank as favorites among the tiara lovers of the world. This diamond and pearl tiara, the Mellerio Shell Tiara, is one of the most unique sparklers ever created by the jewelry house.

The Bavarian Sunburst Tiara

This diamond tiara entered the Bavarian collection in 1883, when Infanta María de la Paz of Spain married Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria, a first cousin of the nation’s last king, Ludwig III. The tiara was one of María’s wedding gifts from her mother, Queen Isabella II of Spain.

Infanta Eulalia’s Diamond and Pearl Tiara

We often discuss the sad fate of the jewels worn by the Romanovs, many of which were lost, sold, or dismantled after the Russian Revolution of 1917. But there was another European royal family that experienced major jewel losses in the twentieth century, and this tiara is one of those bejeweled casualties.