Wonderful post! At the time I understood that the tiara was owned by the Fundação da Casa de Bragança. You think that D. Duarte inherited it directly from his godmother?
--Previous Message-- : When D.Isabel entered the Mosteiro dos : Jerónimos’s church to marry the Duke of : Braganza probably surprised many people with : the jewels she was wearing. : The earrings (that I call D.Isabel wedding : earrings - I know, very imaginative ) were : all diamonds probably set in white gold in a : classic and elegant model. About those : earrings I have no information but since the : wedding are used quite regularly. : : : : However the star was the tiara that the : future Braganza Duchess was wearing and that : belonged to Queen Amelia of Portugal and : possibly many people thought lost. That : tiara was baptized by the Queen herself as : Diadema D.Luis (in english D.Luis Diadem or : alternatively King Luis Diadem) in honor to : her father-in-law. : : : : But let’s see a little of history around : this 800 diamonds tiara. : : When Princess Amelia of Orleans was getting : married to the then Duke of Braganza (22nd : May 1886), the future King Carlos I, the : Portuguese Royal Family started preparing : the wedding presents. As expected the Royal : Family chose the Royal Jewelers Leitão & : Irmão. : : : : The wedding presents consisted of 5 jewels, : one from each member of the Royal Family: : : 1. An 800 diamond tiara mounted on silver : and gold as a present from King D.Luis. This : piece became a very important jewel for : Queen Amelia. : 2. A 500 diamond mirrored necklace mounted : in silver and gold from Queen Maria Pia; : 3. Prince D.Carlos (the groom) offered a 300 : diamonds and 23 sapphires necklace. : 4. The Infante D.Afonso (D.Carlos’s Brother) : offered opera glasses in tortoise shell and : diamonds. : 5. Finally Infante D.Augusto (D.Luis’s : Brother) offered a yellow gold and diamond : brooch. : : : : As said before the Diadema D.Luis was a : favorite piece of Queen Amelia that HM used : a lot. However, since the Regicide (1908) : the tiara disappeared from public eyes not : being worn again by Queen Amelia. : : : : The Queen died in 1951 and her will stated : that her Portuguese jewels should go to the : present Duke of Braganza that was her : Godson. But at that time only the tiara : remained from Queen Amelia wedding presents : and, as far as I know, there is no : information from what happened to the other : jewels. : The tiara saw the light of the day again in : 1995 and, apart from her wedding, has been : used by the Duchess only to official : portraits. : : : : : :