Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies pearl and diamond tiara
Posted by Arthur on August 26, 2023, 3:59 pm
During the summer, I visited Konopiště Castle, in the Czech republic, which was once the property of Archduke Francis-Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne until his assasination in Sarajevo in 1914.
In one of the appartments accomodated for the Archduke's guests, I could notice this engraving of Maria-Anna (1799-1832), née Princess of Saxony, and Grand-Duchess of Toscana by her marriage to Grand-Duke Leopold II.
The interesting thing is that she is wearing on this portrait a pearl and diamond tiara which is very distinctively recognizable, and which is now in the collection of HRH Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Siclies, wife of Prince Charles, one of the two claimants of the former Two-Sicilian throne.
Princess Camilla wore this tiara occasionally, notably for Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson's wedding in May 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark's 50th birthday in May 2018, and for an official portrait of the Two-Sicilies family in 2019:
The tiara was probably a Toscan heirloom, because after Maria-Anna's death in childbirth in 1832, the tiara was not inherited by any of Maria-Anna's children, but by Archduchess Maria-Isabella of Austria-Tuscany (1834-1901), daughter of Grand-Duke Leopold II's by his second wife Maria-Antonia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies. Maria-Isabella married her own maternal uncle, Prince Francis de Paula of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, Count of Trapani.
The tiara was then inherited by Maria-Isabella and Francis de Paula's eldest daughter, Princess Maria-Antonia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1851-1938), who married her first cousin, Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, Count of Caserta (1841-1934, and head of the Two-Sicilian royal family from 1894 to his death).
The tiara then went to Alfonso and Maria-Antonia's eldest son, Prince Ferdinand-Pius of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1869-1960), head of the Two-Scilies royal family from 1934 to 1960, married to Princess Marie of Bavaria (1872-1954).
Prince Ferdinand-Pius and Princess Marie later presented the tiara to their fourth daughter, Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1908-2001), when she married in 1938 Prince Eugene of Savoy-Genoa, duke of Ancona (1906-1996), a junior member of the Italian royal family. Princess Lucia donned the tiara when she appeared on formal occasions at the Italian royal court, and she also occasionally lent the tiara to her sister-in-law, Lydia d'Arenberg (1905-1977), wife of Prince Filiberto of Savoy-Genoa, duke of Pistoia, and later duke of Genoa (1895-1990).
On December 2nd, 1999, two years before Princess Lucia's death, the tiara was auctioned off by Sotheby's in London. It seems that the tiara was then acquired by Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies or by her mother Edoarda Crociani.
Re: Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies pearl and diamond tiara
As always , perfect Arthur. Thank you for sharing. The Duchess of Castro is not invited to a lot of tiara events and wore this tiara only in Denmark and her second tiara the Dragonfly only two times.
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During the summer, I visited Konopiště Castle, in the Czech republic, which was once the property of Archduke Francis-Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne until his assasination in Sarajevo in 1914.
In one of the appartments accomodated for the Archduke's guests, I could notice this engraving of Maria-Anna (1799-1832), née Princess of Saxony, and Grand-Duchess of Toscana by her marriage to Grand-Duke Leopold II.
The interesting thing is that she is wearing on this portrait a pearl and diamond tiara which is very distinctively recognizable, and which is now in the collection of HRH Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Siclies, wife of Prince Charles, one of the two claimants of the former Two-Sicilian throne.
Princess Camilla wore this tiara occasionally, notably for Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson's wedding in May 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark's 50th birthday in May 2018, and for an official portrait of the Two-Sicilies family in 2019:
The tiara was probably a Toscan heirloom, because after Maria-Anna's death in childbirth in 1832, the tiara was not inherited by any of Maria-Anna's children, but by Archduchess Maria-Isabella of Austria-Tuscany (1834-1901), daughter of Grand-Duke Leopold II's by his second wife Maria-Antonia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies. Maria-Isabella married her own maternal uncle, Prince Francis de Paula of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, Count of Trapani.
The tiara was then inherited by Maria-Isabella and Francis de Paula's eldest daughter, Princess Maria-Antonia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1851-1938), who married her first cousin, Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, Count of Caserta (1841-1934, and head of the Two-Sicilian royal family from 1894 to his death).
The tiara then went to Alfonso and Maria-Antonia's eldest son, Prince Ferdinand-Pius of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1869-1960), head of the Two-Scilies royal family from 1934 to 1960, married to Princess Marie of Bavaria (1872-1954).
Prince Ferdinand-Pius and Princess Marie later presented the tiara to their fourth daughter, Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (1908-2001), when she married in 1938 Prince Eugene of Savoy-Genoa, duke of Ancona (1906-1996), a junior member of the Italian royal family. Princess Lucia donned the tiara when she appeared on formal occasions at the Italian royal court, and she also occasionally lent the tiara to her sister-in-law, Lydia d'Arenberg (1905-1977), wife of Prince Filiberto of Savoy-Genoa, duke of Pistoia, and later duke of Genoa (1895-1990).
On December 2nd, 1999, two years before Princess Lucia's death, the tiara was auctioned off by Sotheby's in London. It seems that the tiara was then acquired by Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies or by her mother Edoarda Crociani.
on August 26, 2023, 3:59 pm
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