Pre-Wedding Ball for King Baudouin and Queen FabiolaArchived Message
Posted by Ella Kay on December 26, 2015, 1:59 pm
The third article in my recent series on Belgian royal weddings was published earlier this week at The Court Jeweller. This time, I discussed the wedding of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola and the jewels worn at various events by their guests. You can read the article here.
I've really enjoyed doing research on the glittering ball given for the couple the night before the wedding. This was the biggest tiara event from the celebrations. An Associated Press reporter interviewed a veteran royal security guard, who said that "he never had seen so many costly gems in years of guarding royal heirlooms."
Here's my current list of tiaras worn during the ball:
-- Dona Fabiola Mora y Aragon: the new diamond tiara gifted to her by the Francos (with emeralds) -- Queen Elisabeth of Belgium: her Cartier diamond bandeau -- Lilian, the Princess of Rethy: a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace converted as a tiara -- Paola, the Princess of Liege: the diamond art deco bandeau -- Queen Marie-Jose of Italy: the Musy Tiara -- HGD Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg: the Belgian Scroll Tiara -- Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg: the Empire Tiara -- Princess Astrid of Norway: (I believe) the Vasa Tiara -- Queen Juliana of the Netherlands: the Stuart Tiara -- Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands: the Antique Pearl Tiara -- Princess Irene of the Netherlands: her mother's aquamarine tiara -- Queen Anne of Romania: the family's Greek Key Tiara -- Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom: the Poltimore Tiara -- Princess Anne of Denmark: the diamond tiara previously discussed here -- Princess Margaretha of Denmark: the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, borrowed from Queen Ingrid -- Countess Ruth of Rosenborg: Princess Ingeborg's turquoise star tiara -- Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este: the Savoy-Aosta Tiara -- Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy: a Cartier tiara, possibly on loan from the Princess of Rethy -- Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy: a tiara of diamond ivy leaves
Other royal women wore tiaras I'm finding it more difficult to identify. Franco's daughter, Carmen, wore an unusual tiara. Newsreel footage shows grainy images of Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain wearing a tiara (possibly this one?). The woman walking in front of her is wearing a tiara that appears to resemble the one now owned by Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, but I'm not sure whether she is one of Maria Cristina's daughters or someone else.
I'd love to hear any more information that anyone has about these pieces or any others worn at this pre-wedding ball.