you are making a confusion: the Hesse-Darmstadt (= Hesse and by Rhine) dinasty went extinct in 1968, but the Hesse-Cassel still exist, not the contrary.
Princess Alice of Great-Britain's diamond tiara (a wedding gift from Queen Victoria) was in the tragic plane, but still exists. I have seen it in an exhibition in Brussels in 2007 (it is really more beautiful in real than what it looks to be on pictures!!!). It is pictured in Geoffrey Munn's book Tiaras, A History of Splendour (page 103), and is described as "a graduated frieze of stylized leaves and flowers supported by a latticework gallery".
The caption of the picture reads that it belongs to the "Hessische Hausstiftung" (Hessian House Foundation), a foundation which runs most of the estates and collection of arts of both former houses of Hesse-Darmstadt and Hesse-Cassel, under the supervision of the Landgrave of Hesse(-Cassel).
This diamond tiara has been worn by all grand-duchesses and crown princesses of Hesse-Darmstadt. Though it belongs to the House Foundation, it seems the current ladies of the landgraviate family have never worn it:
- Princess Alice of Great-Britain, wife of Grand-Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt:
- Princess Victoria-Melita of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, first wife of Grand-Duke Ernst-Ludwig:
- Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, second wife of Grand-Duke Ernst-Ludwig:
--Previous Message-- : I'm sure that Cristina didn't mean the theft : after WWII, but the plane crash in 1937. : Most members of the Hessen and by Rhein were : on the same plane in order to attend the : wedding of Prince Ludwig & Hon. Margaret : Campbell Geddes. The plane crashed near the : dutch coast, killing everbody on board. : : There is the story of a tiara being : recovered from the wreck, being intact in : it's strongbox. But I have heard this story : being connected to two tiaras: the turquoise : and moonstone tiara and the strawberry leaf : tiara which had been a present from Queen : Victoria to her daughter Princess Alice. : : My theory is that both tiaras were on board. : The turquoise and moonstone tiara was : intended as a present to the bride who wore : it later during her life. It is now with her : English relatives. : : The strawberry leaf tiara was probably : intended to be worn by the mother of the : groom during the wedding. It is now with the : Hesse-Darmstadt relatives, as the Hesse and : by Rhyn family died out after Prince : Ludwig's death in 1968. : : Afaik, it is not known what happened to the : cabouchon emerald tiara worn by Princess : Cecile in this fascinating picture. I don't : think that it has been seen since. : : : By the way, has anybody ever seen Princess : Margaret, nee Hon. Margaret Campbell Geddes, : wear a tiara? I have only read the she wore : the turquoise-moonstone tiara, but have : never seen a picture. : :
on July 23, 2014, 1:00 pm, in reply to "
