Previous Message

Let’s make pretend in the far-off future the Belgian royal house suddenly takes an interest in keeping jewels in the main line and halts their previous attitude of letting them disperse, Elisabeth as queen regnant might possibly have a respectably stocked vault of tiaras:

King Philippe and Queen Mathilda’s gift tiara
The Wolfers Tiara
Queen Mathilda’s palm wreath tiara
The Tiara of The Nine Provinces
The Art Deco tiara
The Spanish Wedding Gift tiara (?)
Queen Paola’s small diamond necklace tiara

That’s plenty and would put tiara-poor Belgium in league with some of her fellow European queens. Imagine the fun if she sends an emissary to the present owner of Queen Elisabeth’s Cartier tiara to make a deal for either an outright purchase, or to loan for the Belgian Sovereigns exclusive use- much like Crown Princess Mary’s deal regarding The Midnight Tiara.

One can dream?

Previous Message

Is the Stockholm tiara considered lost forever for the Belgian Royal house?

Previous Message

It hasn't been seen since around 70 years so it is unlikely that it is still in the Vaults.

Previous Message

It's not appeared in any sale either and the Stockholm tiara's design has not been fashionable for those 70 years.
I hope the base is still around it could be used if the Belgian royals want to create a new version of it.

Besides that the list includes the Art Deco bandeau of Queen Elisabeth that is now the property of Queen Paola. We do not know who she'll leave it to. I hope it will go to the main branch but Paola has three children so she might choose to leave it to Astrid or Laurent.

If im correct Paola either loaned or gave her small necklace/tiara to Mathilde (i believe she was wearing it in Oslo). That might mean that particular piece goes to the main line.

Queen Fabiola's Spanish wedding gift tiara has not been seen since she died. Though i hope Philippe managed to secure it for his wife and/or daughter there is no way of knowing who owns it now.

The Belgians lack variation in their jewels. It's all diamonds and a few pearls. The diamonds are not the grandest and they own no complete sets of jewels.

I get that Louise-Marie and Marie-Henriette's jewels were unlikely to make it to the present collection i do however lament the idea that the main jewels from the Countess of Flanders, Queen Elisabeth, Queen Astrid, Queen Fabiola and Queen Paola have not been put in a collection together.

Can you imagine?

not even a full list:

* The countess of Flanders strawberry leaf diamond and pearl coronet
* Stephanie van Baden's pearl tiara
* The Turquoise bandeau/demi parure
* The Leuchtenberg diamond tiara
* Queen Elisabeth's Cartier tiara
* Art Deco bandeau
* Queen Astrid's diamond and emerald necklace/tiara
* Empress Carlotta's emerald brooch
* Tiara of the provinces
* Stockholm tiara
* diamond necklace of Queen Astrid
* Queen Fabiola's Spanish wedding gift Tiara
* Queen Fabiola's Tunisian demi parure
* Wolfers' diamond necklace/tiara
* Queen Fabiola's aquamarine jewels

Previous Message

I think if is still in the Vautls there would have be no need to buy a new tiara for the duchess of Brabant. The base could be used as a nice little bandeau.

Previous Message

The Duchess of Brabant will receive a tiara as Wedding Present from the belgian Nobility.

Previous Message

The belgian nobility gifted her a necklace for her 18th birthday. Let's hope it's also wearable as a tiara.

Previous Message

Well i hope it's just a good necklace. Im not a fan of the Wolfers necklace as a tiara and prefer it and Paola's small diamond necklace/tiara around the neck instead of on the head of the royal lady wearing it.

Elisabeth now has access to a good tiara (maybe some cleaning needed to make the stones sparkle a bit more) and in time she'll be able to add to it.

It would be nice if her tiara really has the second option of being topped by pearls. That would give her more variety. If in time she becomes queen and the Spanish Wedding Gift tiara is not part of her collection i hope she'll consider getting separate stones to be used in the Provinces tiara. Nice with diamonds but it would be helpful if she had the option to exchange them for amethysts, pink topaz, emeralds, aquamarines or sapphires.

If the SWG tiara is still part of her collection im wondering if the diamonds of the Provinces Tiara would fit in the places of the coloured stones. The coronet version in diamonds and pearls would make a fabulous piece to wear for her investiture. With some diamond and pearl jewellery and a white or black gown and the Leopold order she'd look stunning. (im hoping she won't show up in military uniform and a short skirt for that event)

Previous Message

Princess Josephine Charlotte is the last Princess of Belgium who received a present of our lost Congo.

Previous Message

Our lost Congo?! You can’t be serious! This is, in view of the unprecedentedly cruel past, even by colonial standards, for which Belgium is responsible in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a wording that cannot possibly be meant seriously!

"The Congo we have tortured, exploited and oppressed" would be a more appropriate term, which at the same time makes it clear that accepting Congolese wedding gifts to Belgian royal princesses was a disgrace then, just as it would be today.

Previous Message

Dear Mauriz,
I completely understand your reaction.
But I am not sure if this is a written inguistic misunderstanding from Maria Olivias side beeing a non English follower of the board.
Or so I hope.

Previous Message

I’m quite sure that Maria Olivia, who is a very kind person, doesn’t want to be cruel! Being a non-english follower myself on this board it isn’t not always that easy to use the correct words. And sometimes something can be misunderstand….