Not from Queen Amélia... Archived Message
Posted by Cristina  on May 19, 2014, 4:49 pm, in reply to "Braganza jewels - D.Maria Francisca Diamond Bandeau tiara"
Thank you Jorge for starting another Braganza thread, this time on the absolute favourite jewel of the late and the present Duchess of Braganza.
I agree with you, it is indeed a very beautiful, elegant and delicate piece, and both ladies have worn it beautifuly.
To start my post here's a bigger close-up of this beautiful bandeau. Its from a HQ posted by our dear Tamara sometime ago.
According to what we have seen on both ladies heads, the bandeau seams to have flexibility, am I the only one thinking that it could perhaps be worn as necklace? I think it would also look very beautiful worn this way.
As to its provenance I am actually not convinced it was a gift from Queen Amélia, at least not a wedding gift.
I have been researching my books on this and on the recent 2013 book on Queen Amélia by author José Alberto Ribeiro its stated that the Queen gave Dona Maria Francisca one of her jewels as wedding gift (the brooch you mentioned, not yet discussed here). Acording to this book the Queen herself wrote it in her jewels inventory, along with details on the brooch and its history and some other details.
I found no reference on the possibility of a jewel gift from Queen Amélia to Dona Maria Francisca on the birth of Dom Duarte. The Queen was the baby's godmother and left him all her possessions in Portugal, but nothing is mentioned on a jewel gift to his mother Dona Maria Francisca.
I find this book a very reliable source because the author had the unique previledge to have acess to Queen Amélia's private journals, and she was very meticulous on taking notes on every aspects of her daily life. As it is known, the Queen asked for her private journals to be burned after her death, a wish not respected. Part of the journals went to her nephew Henri Count of Paris and are now on the French National Archives in Paris. The remaing journals were held by her last butler, Louis Jouve. These last ones are now on possession of Messieur Rémi Fénérol, a private colector that has a huge admiration for the Queen, and holds one of the largest (if not the largest) collection of items and memorabilia from Dona Amélia. The author of the book was the sole person, so far, to have acess to all of her private journals.
As to the beautiful portrait of Queen Amélia, we can see it more clearly on this bigger pic from the cover of this small 2004 book. The portrait was painted in 1906 by Emilia Santos Braga, and hangs in the D. Carlos room of the Military Museum in Lisbon.
The bandeau depicted in the portrait bears no resemblance to Dona Isabel's diamond bandeau. Queen Amélia's hair ornament looks like its yellow gold and a totally diferent shape. I've never seen this jewel on any other picture or portrait from Queen Amélia. Its shape is not clearly defined in the portrait altought the Queen's face looks amazingly realistic. Could this golden hair ornament be a bit of "artistic creativity" from the painter?
So the mystery remains, what is the provenance of the diamond bandeau? Who gave it to Duchess Dona Maria Francisca? Was it a wedding gift?
I have always questioned myself if she wore it already as a bride, she has some ornament and flowers on her head topping the veil, but with all the heavy lace and the flowers its really dificult to see.
--Previous Message--
: In the past 15th May, HRH D.Duarte, Duke of
: Braganza (and titular Prince Royal of
: Portugal) celebrated another birthday. To
: commemorate I’m starting a thread about
: probably the most emblematic of the Braganza
: jewels: the D.Maria Francisca Diamond
: Bandeau tiara.
:
:
:
: To be honest there is not much thing to say
: about this delicate jewel. Is was a favorite
: piece of the late Duchess and was the only
: tiara (as far as I know) that HRH wore. In
: my opinion is a very delicate and charming
: piece of jewelry.
:
:
:
:
: But where did this tiara came from? D.Maria
: Francisca didn’t wore it until she was
: married so I guess we can exclude an
: Orleans-Braganza heirloom. A Braganza
: heirloom? I have serious doubts about it. A
: present from her husband? I do not believe.
:
: The answer may be in the wedding: it may be
: a wedding present. But from who? Is it
: normal to offer tiaras, even if we are
: talking about some as small as this one?
: Maybe from her parents? But the
: Orleans-Braganza was not properly a rich
: family. Even today the Brazilian Imperial
: Family does not seem to possess any tiara.
:
: We know that HM Queen Amelia accepted
: D.Maria Francisca’s invitation to be her
: Maid of Honour. This fact is very symbolic
: because D.Amelia, at the time, was the last
: surviving member of the reigning branch of
: the Braganza family. We also know that HM
: gave the couple at least one jewel as a
: present (a brooch). But was that the only
: present? There is a picture of HM that has
: been intriguing me for years.
:
:
:
:
: Could it be the bandeau?
:
: Does anyone have more informations? Hope you
: can help with this mystery.
:
: Nevertheless this tiara clearly became a
: favorite jewel of HRH D.Isabel. I believe
: that the current Duchess of Braganza first
: wore this tiara at the 2004 Royal Danish
: wedding.
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