Queen Victoria paid a State visit to France from 18th to 27th August, 1855, accompanied by her husband, Prince Albert, and their two elder children, Victoria, Princess Royal (later German Empress and Queen of Prussia), and Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). They were hosted by Emperor Napoleon III at Saint-Cloud Castle (which does not exist anymore, as the castle was destroyed by a blaze during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870).
The Queen, as well as Empress Eugenie, wore the following jewels during the visit:
- Sunday, 19th August: for the dinner in Saint-Cloud, Queen Victoria did not wear a tiara: to complement her green silk dress ornated with lace, she wore flowers in her hair (violets and roses). During the dinner, the Queen was acquainted with French General Canrobert, who was astonished to see the Queen wearing rings at each of her fingers.
- Monday, 20th August: for the 80-guest dinner in the Apollo's Gallery of Saint-Cloud Castle, followed by a drama performance in the castle's theatre, Queen Victoria opted for a pink dress with an opal and diamond parure, while Empress Eugénie wore a sapphire and diamond tiara with her cornflower-embroidered dress (possibly the tiara from the sapphire parure of the Crown jewels?).
- Tuesday, 21st August: after a dinner in small company in Saint-Cloud, Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie and Prince Albert attended an opera performance in Paris. Both ladies wore a white dress with emerald jewels - possibly the following parure for Victoria?
- Wednesday, 22nd August: the French and British sovereigns visited the industry section of the World Exhibition, which was then taking place in Paris, and Queen Victoria as very much interested in the Crown jewels and the production of the imperial manufactories. In the evening, for the 80-guest dinner in Saint-Cloud, Queen Victoria wore a white organdy dress, while Empress Eugenie wore a pink dress. I have unfortunately no information about the jewels worn that evening.
- Thursday, 23rd August: a grand ball for 8,000 guests (!) was given at Paris City Hall. Queen Victoria wore a splendid dress of white tulle, embroidered with gold and red geranium, with a tiara of historical diamonds.
- Saturday, 25th August: a dinner and a ball were given in Versailles, in the Opera of the Castle (dinner) and the Mirrors Hall (ball). Queen Victoria wore a white organdy dress ornated with floral bouquets, while her hair was dressed with diamonds and flowers.
- Sunday, 26th August: as it was the last day of the visit, before the departure scheduled for the following day, Napoleon III and Eugenie showered their guests with presents, not only Prince Albert (whose birthday happened on that day), but also Queen Victoria, the Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales. Among the gifts for the Queen was an enamel and gem-studded "bouquet holder", which is still in the Royal Collection: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/4786/bouquet-holder Later in the day, for the dinner in Saint-Cloud, Queen Victoria wore a white tulle dress with pink wattle bunches, "an admirable tiara and pearls which were much admired". Empress Eugenie wore a white tulle dress with cherry-red ornaments and pansies in her hair.
- Monday, 27th August: before the departure, the imperial couple presented again their guests with some more gifts, among others a fan and a ruby and diamond bracelet containing hair curls of Empress Eugenie, for the young Princess Royal Victoria.
Sources: - Florence Austin Montenay: Saint-Cloud - Une vie de château (2005) - Napoléon III et la reine Victoria - Une visite à l'Exposition universelle de 1855, catalogue of the exhibition organized in Compiègne Castle in 2008.
on October 18, 2015, 5:41 pm, in reply to "
