He never had a countess at his side and left the tiara in his will to his sister Marie-Jose, former queen of Italy. It would have been better had he left it to his nephew Albert (II) but both he and his brother Leopold III decided to leave their main tiara to the woman most important in their life rather than to the dynasty.
I believe Maria Gabriella of Savoy inherited most of the Belgian jewels of her mother (the Leuchtenberg drop tiara, the Pearl tiara of Stephanie of Baden with earrings made to match for Marie-Jose as well as the Turquoise set inherited from the first countess of Flanders Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen). She needed to money and sold them.
It would have been better if the main Belgian line had bought these pieces and Queen Elisabeth's Cartier tiara.
It would have given Mathilde more options and this Leuchtenberg drop tiara might have made a stunning piece for the Duchess of Brabant.
Would look great on Mathilde!
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