Thank you Cristina and Jorge for such an interesting discussion. I could see the beautiful bandeau worn as a necklace, but I think it will always be bandeau tiara. Looking at HQ of the portrait of Queen Amelia, it's quite clear it's not the diamond bandeau. This HQ is stunning and I agree the artist's rendition of HM's facial features is very lifelike. A beautiful portrait. --Previous Message-- : Oh Jorge, as always we end up with a mystery : provenance. : : And I just wonder why was this jewel not : mentioned on the book made on the portuguese : royal jewels (If jewels could talk). All the : jewels originated on Queen Amélia and now : owned by the Duke and Duchess are referred: : the Dom Luís diadem, the Diamond : choker/tiara, even the brooch we didn't know : existed! So, why was this piece, worn so : often by both Duchesses of Braganza and a : firm favourite of Dona Isabel, not included : and not even mentioned?? : This is yet another reason why I have strong : doubts it came from Queen Amélia. : But again we have to wait until a reliable : source can tell us something on this lovely : piece . : : : : : --Previous Message-- : Hi Cristina! : : Thanks for your answer! This tiara as a : necklace? I don’t say no but I’m not : convinced either. : : Yes, I know that the biography of Queen : Amelia only talks about one present HM gave : Princess D.Maria Francisca. But we must : understand that the jewels of the last : chapter (about the present Duchess) were : chosen by HRH. So, it was unlikely the book : to talk about a jewel that was not present : in it. So, I still believe that this tiara : may be a present from Queen D.Amelia. But, : as usual, when we talk about Portuguese : royal jewels, there are very few : certainties. : : However I have to agree with you: a close up : of the painting show what appear to be : another jewel/tiara. Now, is it the bandeau : painted with a certain (very) artistic : liberty, a completely new tiara or head : ornament or an absent jewel? : Personally I do not believe in the last : hypothesis. D.Amelia apparently never had : problems in being portrayed without jewels. : The first hypothesis is also strange because : it seems too much liberty. Especially when : the face of HM, as you noticed, is so : realistic. : : So we have the second one. In that case: : what jewel is that? And where is it? May it : be the emerald tiara from the crown jewels? : I believe that only Queen D.Maria Pia wore : that parure! : So, from a single mystery we now have two? : Oh these Braganza jewels … : : I also have the same question as you : relatively to the jewels worn by D.Maria : Francisca at her wedding! Is it possible she : wore the bandeau? But even then the question : remains: where did the tiara came from? : : : :
on May 20, 2014, 11:29 pm, in reply to "