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Jewel History: Braganza Wedding Will Be Brilliant (1909)

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Anita Stewart, Princess Miguel of Braganza, ca. 1911 (source)

Braganza Wedding Will Be Brilliant
(originally published in the New York Times on 12 Sep 1909)

London, Sept. 11 — Preparations have been begun on a royal scale here for the wedding next Wednesday of Dom Miguel [1], son of the Duke of Braganza, the Portugese pretender [2], who has surrendered his rights in order to marry Miss Anita Stewart [3], the daughter of Mrs. James Henry Smith.

It is possibly unnecessary to contradict the absurd story printed here to the effect that Emperor Francis Joseph [4] had made Miss Stewart a Princess of the Austrian Empire in her own right. Dom Miguel’s visit to Vienna, which was stated to have been made in order to thank the Emperor for doing so had, of course, no such object.

The future bridegroom [pictured above, ca. 1920] is now in Scotland, where the wedding will take place at Dingwall, the ancient royal burgh and county town of Rosshire, close to Tulloch Castle, where Miss Stewart and her mother have returned. The wedding will take place in St. Lawrence’s Roman Catholic chapel, where Dom Miguel attends daily mass. The chapel is being lavishly decorated and the interior will be transformed by an arrangement of evergreens and smilax into the semblance of a grotto, most of the material coming direct from Paris. In the sanctuary, palms and white lilies will form the principal feature of the decorations, while the front of the choir will be elaborately draped with the Braganza colors, ruby and blue.

The approach to the church from the public highway is to be entirely covered with a rustic archway, beautifully draped, and the church gateway will be converted into a floral arch over which will be inscribed in Portuguese: “God bless thee, O Prince, and thy beautiful bride.” Dr. Chisholm, the Catholic Bishop of Aberdeen, has been invited to conduct the wedding ceremonies and will be assisted by Father Fraser, the priest of Dingwall parish, and Father MacDonald of Glenfinnan. The chapel choir and band of the Second Seaforth Highlanders will assist at the service. The rehearsal is to take place at Tulloch Castle Tuesday.

Anita Stewart, Princess Miguel of Braganza (source)

William Rhinelander Stewart, the bride’s brother, who will give her away, and Mrs. Anthony J. Drexel, her aunt, have arrived at the castle. Mrs. Drexel’s gift is a magnificent tea and coffee tray. Conspicuous among the presents is a feather-shaped cluster of diamonds and sapphires, an heirloom in the Braganza family for over two centuries. It will be worn by the bride on her wedding day. A gift of five tortoiseshell combs, studded with diamonds, comes from the Archduchess Maria Theresa [5], the bridegroom’s aunt. Another aunt, Princess von Schwarzenberg [6], sends a beautiful parasol. The gift of the bride’s mother, Mrs. J.H. Smith, to the bride is a diamond tiara and a string of costly pearls.

Among the guests expected at the castle on Monday are the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, the father and stepmother of the bridegroom; Prince Francis Joseph [7] and Prince Duarte [8] of Braganza, brothers of the bridegroom; his aunt, Princess Adelgonde of Bavaria [9]; his sister, Princess von Thurn und Taxis [10]; Count Sigray and Dom Alexandre de Saldanha da Gama, who represents the Braganza family in Portugal [11] There will be a grouse drive on Tulloch Castle moors on Tuesday, in which the bridegroom and his father will take part, and, after the departure of the bride and bridegroom on their honeymoon, the guests will have two days’ more shooting.

Tulloch Castle, which Mrs. Smith rents from Duncan Davidson, is a picturesque place. It almost burned out during the middle of the last century, but was practically restored. The banqueting hall, where the wedding breakfast will take place, is a fine apartment. A part of the buildings is still called “the ruins.” Queer little corkscrew staircases and turreted chambers form the feature of the house, and there are a few good pictures still to be seen, although most of them were destroyed in the fire. The castle is about a mile and a half from Dingwall and stands on high ground. The garden is famous for its clipped box hedges, 12 feet high and 6 feet wide.

NOTES

1. Dom Miguel, Prince of Braganza (1878-1923) was the son of Prince Miguel, Duke of Braganza (a grandson of King João VI of Portugal) and Princess Elizabeth of Thurn und Taxis. Although this article claims that Miguel renounced his rights to the Portuguese throne ahead of his wedding, he didn’t actually do so until 1920, long after the Portuguese monarchy had been abolished.

2. Dom Miguel, Duke of Braganza (1853-1927) was the father of the groom. To explain why Dom Miguel’s father was the pretender to the Portuguese throne, and why Dom Miguel’s wedding was happening in Scotland, we need a bit of historical background. After the death of King João VI of Portugal in 1826, a succession battle ensued. His son Pedro, who was already Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, initially succeeded his father, but finding it difficult to reign on two continents, he swiftly abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his seven-year-old daughter, Maria da Gloria. To make sure the people accepted her as a legitimate ruler, he planned to marry Maria to his younger brother (and therefore her uncle, ew), Prince Miguel. This was obviously problematic for multiple reasons, including the fact that Miguel had been exiled to Austria by their father after he took part in an attempted revolution in 1823. Miguel initially accepted Pedro’s plan, but (surprise!) he actually deposed Maria and took the throne for himself as King Miguel I. War ensued, and Maria was restored to the throne in 1834 as Queen Maria II of Portugal. Miguel I and his descendants were banished from Portugal. The Portuguese succession continued through Maria II’s descendants, but in 1908, King Carlos and his heir, Luis Felipe, were assassinated in Lisbon. Carlos’s second son took the throne as King Manuel II, but he had no legitimate heirs, and neither did his uncle, Infante Afonso — meaning that, in a twist of irony, King Miguel I’s son, the Duke of Braganza, was one of the only remaining heirs to the Portuguese throne. (It didn’t really matter. There was a revolution in Portugal in 1910, and the monarchy was abolished.) The Duke’s eldest son, Dom Miguel, was the groom at this wedding. Whew. Everyone still with me?

3. Anita Rhinelander Stewart (1886-1977) was the daughter of one of the richest families in New York. Her father, William Rhinelander Stewart, made millions in banking and real estate. Her mother, Annie Armstrong, was the daughter of General John A. Armstrong. William and Annie were divorced in 1906, and Annie subsequently married James Henry Smith, who had made his own millions developing real estate in Chicago and Milwaukee. And then, during their honeymoon in Japan, Smith suddenly died. Anita reportedly received a substantial inheritance from her stepfather’s estate. She married Dom Miguel were married in Scotland on September 15, 1909.

4. Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary (1830-1916). When Miguel I was exiled from Portugal in the 1820s and 1830s, he sought refuge in Vienna. His son, the Duke of Braganza, was educated in Austria and became close to Franz Joseph. The emperor even served as godfather to the Duke’s second son, Prince Francisco José of Braganza. The Braganzas served in the Austran army and were apparently impoverished when the Habsburgs lost their throne in 1916. On September 7, 1909, the Times printed a story claiming that Franz Joseph had made Anita a princess “in her own right” ahead of the wedding. This story contradicts that claim (which still appears on the web today, using that September 7th article as a source).

5. Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria (1855-1944) was born Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal, daughter of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. She was the third wife of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I; that means she was also the stepmother of the infamous Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose murder sparked World War I. Maria Theresa had two daughters; one of them, Elisabeth, married Prince Alois of Liechtenstein. She was the original owner of the Habsburg Fringe Tiara, owned today by Liechtenstein’s princely family.

6. Princess Anna von Schwarzenburg (1873-1936) was born Princess Anna of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. She was the sister of the groom’s stepmother, Princess Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

7. Prince Francisco José of Braganza (1879-1919) was the groom’s younger brother, the second son of the Duke of Braganza and Princess Elizabeth of Thurn und Taxis. He lived a life full of scandal before dying as a prisoner of war in World War I.

8. Prince Duarte Nuno of Braganza (1907-1976) was the groom’s youngest brother, the only son of the Duke of Braganza and his second wife, Princess Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. He eventually succeeded his father as Duke of Braganza. In 1942, he reunited the two warring lines of the Portuguese royal family by marrying Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza, a descendant of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. The present Duke of Braganza, Dom Duarte Pio, is the son of Duarte Nuno and Maria Francisca. Duarte Pio is also the current pretender to the Portuguese throne.

9. The Times appears to be confusing Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria (1823-1914) with the groom’s aunt, Princess Adelgundes of Bourbon-Parma (1858-1946). The latter was born Infanta Adelgundes of Portugal, daughter of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. She was the widow of Prince Henry of Bourbon-Parma.

10. Princess Maria Theresa of Thurn und Taxis (1881-1945) was born Princess Maria Theresa of Braganza, the only daughter of the Duke of Braganza and Princess Elizabeth of Thurn und Taxis. She married Prince Karl Ludwig of Thurn und Taxis in 1900.

11. The Portuguese nobles represented the remaining members of the royal family. After the assassination the year before, the living family members included King Manuel II, Infante Afonso, Queen Maria Pia, and Queen Amélie.

Royal Jewel Rewind: Haakon and Mette-Marit’s Wedding (2001)

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He was a crown prince, and she was a single mother and a waitress: theirs is something of a real-life Cinderella story. On this day fourteen years ago, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, the nation’s future king and queen, married in Oslo. Let’s have a look at the jewels worn at their wedding, shall we? (PS: if you missed yesterday’s look back to their pre-wedding gala, head over here!)

The bride wore a lovely, sleek, simple wedding gown and adorned it with equally delicate jewels. The star of the show, jewelry-wise, was the diamond daisy bandeau given to her by her new parents-in-law, King Harald and Queen Sonja. She also wore a delicate necklace and small earrings.

And here’s a better look at the dress, including the dramatic bouquet. (And look how young Haakon looks without the beard!)

Haakon’s mother, Queen Sonja, wore the family’s magnificent suite of emeralds with a bright green gown. She also wore the Order of St. Olav and King Harald’s family order.

The groom’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, wore the tiara given to her by her grandfather, King Olav. She also wore an … interesting set of jewelry, including a necklace, a bracelet, and earrings, that look to be set with topazes or aquamarines. You can also spot a small diamond brooch, the Order of St. Olav, and her father’s family order. I’m not sure about the ring — it’s not her engagement ring, as she and Ari didn’t make their engagement official until that December.

Princess Astrid, King Harald’s sister and Crown Prince Haakon’s godmother,wore the gorgeous suite of turquoise and diamond jewelry that belonged to Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, her great-grandmother. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav and three family orders: those of her grandfather (King Haakon VII), her father, (King Olav V), and her brother (King Harald V).

Without a doubt, the most adorable Norwegian guest at the wedding was Mette-Marit’s son, Marius. Look at his little suit! How many four-year-olds get to wear white tie and tails?

Queen Silvia of Sweden dazzled in diamonds, including Queen Sofia’s Tiara, the Carl Johan Earrings, a diamond collet necklace with a pendant, diamond bracelets, and a large diamond brooch. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav and the family order of her husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (who is also Crown Prince Haakon’s godfather).

Crown Princess Victoria made an early appearance in what has become her signature tiara, the Baden Fringe. She’s also wearing the small diamond earrings made from Queen Josefina’s diamond stomacher, a diamond and pearl brooch, the Order of St. Olav, and her father’s family order.

Princess Madeleine wore the Modern Fringe Tiara to the wedding. (It’s the same piece that she wore at her wedding, but she couldn’t have known that then — her wedding day was still more than eleven years in the future.) She’s also wearing simple diamond stud earrings, the Bernadotte diamond bow brooch, and a diamond necklace. She didn’t yet have a Norwegian order in 2001, so she’s wearing the Order of the Seraphim, plus her father’s family order.

Also representing the Swedes: Prince Carl Philip, who escorted his sisters. Like Madeleine, he’s wearing the Order of the Seraphim.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (another of Crown Prince Haakon’s godparents) wore the appropriately heart-shaped Baden Palmette Tiara to the wedding, pairing it with a diamond riviere and a pair of over-the-top diamond floral earrings. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav, the badge of the Order of the Dannebrog, and her father’s family order.

No Mary yet at this wedding — but Crown Prince Frederik was the best man! He’s wearing the Order of St. Olav.

Princess Benedikte, Margrethe’s younger sister, wore a tiara she had just inherited from her late mother: Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara. She paired it with a diamond necklace that was made from a sautoir that belonged to Queen Alexandrine, plus Queen Ingrid’s diamond fan earrings and star brooches that belonged to Queen Victoria of Sweden. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav.

Benedikte’s elder daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, borrowed her mother’s Floral Birthday Tiara for the wedding. She also wore an elaborate choker necklace of seed pearls. Bjarne Steen Jensen, author of a book on Danish jewels, states that the piece was one of Queen Ingrid’s christening gifts, given to her by her Swedish grandparents, King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria.

Queen Margrethe’s youngest sister, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, also wore a piece of Ingrid’s jewelry at the wedding: the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, which belonged to Ingrid’s mother, Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden. (The piece is now the wedding tiara for Ingrid’s female descendants.) Anne-Marie is also wearing an aquamarine pendant that belonged to Margareta, plus a square aquamarine and diamond brooch that was a gift from a Greek shipping magnate. The diamond bracelets on her right wrist are a part of the convertible necklace made from Queen Alexandrine’s sautoir. She’s also wearing her highest Greek order, the Order of the Redeemer.

Anne-Marie’s elder daughter, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, wore her diamond tiara at the wedding. She also wore the same small diamond earrings that she wore at her wedding, plus a brooch with a small pendant drop and the Order of the Redeemer.

Anne-Marie’s second son, Prince Nikolaos, also attended the wedding. Like his mother and sister, he’s wearing the Order of the Redeemer.

The Brits sent three representatives to Haakon’s wedding — though curiously, his British godmother, Princess Anne, didn’t attend. Prince Charles came alone (though Haakon and Mette-Marit returned the favor four years later, as some of the only European royals to attend his wedding to Camilla). Charles is wearing the Order of St. Olav.

The other Windsors at the wedding were the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Sophie wore her wedding tiara, diamond earrings, and the pearl and diamond necklace given to her by Edward as a first anniversary present.

Queen Paola of Belgium wore Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau, plus her diamond half-moon earrings, her convertible diamond necklace, a crescent-shaped brooch, and the Order of St. Olav.

The Duke of Brabant — now King Philippe of the Belgians — attended the wedding without his wife, Mathilde, who was expecting their first child, Princess Elisabeth (now the Duchess of Brabant). Philippe is wearing his highest Belgian order, the Order of Leopold.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg wore the Chaumet Pearl Choker Tiara to the wedding, plus an enormous double-stranded diamond necklace, diamond bracelets, diamond and pearl earrings, and the Order of St. Olav.

To solve the problem of a modest tiara for a princess-to-be, Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (now Queen Máxima of the Netherlands) wore the base of the Antique Pearl Tiara without its upright pearls. She’s also wearing earrings and a brooch set with diamonds and gray pearls.

She also wore diamond bracelets and her engagement ring.

Willem-Alexander’s brother, Prince Constantijn (wearing the Order of the Netherlands Lion), attended the wedding with his wife, Princess Laurentien. She wore the family’s Ears of Wheat Tiara, made of brooches that date to the beginning of the 19th century.

No Monegasque princesses at this wedding, unfortunately, but Prince Albert II attended, wearing the Order of Saint-Charles.

Queen Sofia of Spain wore her floral tiara with diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and a diamond bow brooch, plus the Order of St. Olav. Her escort was her son, the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe VI of Spain). This was pre-Letizia, and many of you will remember that Felipe’s controversial wedding date was…

… his girlfriend, the statuesque Norwegian model Eva Sannum. Their relationship ended a few months later, and he met Letizia the following year.

Which jewels from this royal wedding are your favorites?

Royal Jewel Rewind: Haakon and Mette-Marit’s Pre-Wedding Gala

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Fourteen years ago today, a baby-faced Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his fiancee, Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, attended a pre-wedding gala in their honor at Akershus Castle. Let’s have a look at the jewels worn by the royals in attendance, shall we? (It will also give us a chance to marvel at the clothes worn in 2001 and the youthfulness of everyone involved. Enjoy!)

The lady of the hour was, of course, Mette-Marit, who wore two pieces of important royal jewelry: the diamond chandelier earrings that had belonged to Haakon’s grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, and Queen Maud’s Vifte Tiara/Necklace, which was Maud’s 18th birthday gift from her grandmother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Nothing says “I’m going to be a queen-in-waiting tomorrow” like that much family jewelry!

The evening was hosted by the groom’s parents, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. Sonja wore her amethyst suite, a set of jewelry that is now primarily worn by Mette-Marit. (Some think it actually belongs to Mette-Marit now.)

The groom’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, went full late-’90s with a long, long lariat necklace that matched the spaghetti straps of her gown, plus stud earrings, a bracelet, and a simple ring.

The Norwegians’ Scandinavian neighbors, the Bernadottes of Sweden, were all in attendance. Queen Silvia wore the family’s diamond floral brooch and earrings.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore the delicate, simple necklace, bracelet, and earrings that she donned quite often in her younger years.

Princess Madeleine wore a sparkling crystal necklace, plus simple earrings and a silver watch. Also: SO MANY SPAGHETTI STRAPS.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark went with diamonds and turquoises, including earrings and a brooch from her extensive stash of turquoise jewels. It also looks like she might have something in her hair, but I don’t have a better angle on it, unfortunately. Also fun: you can see her traditional family gold bracelet quite well.

Margrethe’s sister, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, wore a multi-stranded pearl necklace with diamond and pearl earrings. She’s also wearing three bracelets, including her own gold bracelet and one that appears to be set with diamonds and rubies. Pinned to her dress is a brooch set with a large topaz; she inherited from her mother, Queen Ingrid, the previous year.

Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, Anne-Marie’s daughter, wore simple earrings and a lovely necklace that looks to be set with a large blue topaz.

The British royals are close cousins of the Norwegians — both families are descended from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom — and the Earl and Countess of Wessex represented the Windsors at the gala. Sophie donned floral earrings and an interesting necklace. She also placed the diamond clip brooches given to her by the Queen Mother on the straps of her gown.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg wore an elaborate pair of bright green and orange pendant earrings.

She’s a queen now, but at this wedding, she was still Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, attending as the fiancee of Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Even so, with her simple earrings and her engagement ring, I think she was one of the most elegant women in attendance.