No royal vault is complete without pearls. The Portuguese Royal House vault is no exception.
Talk about pearls is always complicated mainly because most of the times the pearls look all the same which make difficult to distinguish the several pieces. However in the Braganza family there is another question: where did the pearls came from?
Now a little of history (hope you like).
In 1829 died in Lisbon Princess D.Maria Benedita de Bragança, daughter of King D.José I of Portugal and Queen Maria Ana Victoria de Borbón. She was also the youngest sister of Queen D. Maria I of Portugal and married her nephew the Crown Prince D.José de Bragança (prince of Brazil). Lost?
The Crown Prince died quite young (27 yo) and the couple had no childs. Without descendents the princess stipulated in her will that most of her jewels should be sold and the money delivered to the institution she founded: the Asilo Militar de Runa..
At the time of her death the King of Portugal was already D.Miguel I that, as you may know, is the direct ancestor by male line of the present Duke of Braganza.
King D.Miguel I ordered the jewels to be bought for the impoverished Casa do Infantado with the exception of the sapphires that were personally bought by his sister Infanta D.Isabel Maria and almost all the pearls that were personally bought by King Miguel himself.
The Portuguese civil war was, however, started in 1828 and ended in 1834 with the unfair defeat of King Miguel. With a very patriotic soul D.Miguel I, before going to exile, ordered his personal jewels to be delivered to his brother, now King D.Pedro IV, to help the reconstruction of the country.
The jewels remained in the vaults and apparently were never sold. I do not know, however, if all D.Miguel I jewels were delivered including all the pearls.
Another question is the inheritance that D.Miguel I had right by the death of his parents: King D.João VI and Queen Carlota Joaquina. This question was solved, apparently, only a few decades ago with the portuguese state buying the most important pieces from King D.Miguel I descendents. But what jewels were bought by the state? Did any of the jewels went back to the Braganza family?
The Duchess of Braganza, today, owns a few sets of pearls. But from where did those pearls came from? Wedding presents? Of whom? Heirlooms? Of which family?
As usual, too many questions and, I’m afraid, too few answers.
And now the pictures:
The Infanta D.Filipa with a three strand pearl necklace. D.Filipa, as you may remember, left a brooch to her nephew D.Duarte.
A four strand pearl necklace
A pearl chocker and some pearl earrings
Double strand necklace
And finally some of my favorite pictures of HRH D.Isabel, Duchess of Braganza
on March 30, 2014, 9:49 am
