The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Portuguese Tiarapedia Is Here!

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The King Luis Diamond Tiara (Wikimedia Commons)

Our project to update and expand the Tiarapedia, the original online encyclopedia of royal tiaras, continues this week with a look at a collection of sparklers owned by the Portuguese pretenders.

The Braganza Diamond Bandeau (FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

The Tiarapedia originally launched in 2008 as a project to compile and share provenance information about royal tiaras from around the world. This year, I’m relaunching a new, expanded version. This week’s new section focuses on a trio of fascinating tiaras owned by the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, who would be King and Queen of Portugal — if the monarchy hadn’t been abolished more than a century ago!

The Braganza Floral Necklace Tiara (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

I’m adding a new section to the Tiarapedia every week this autumn, so be sure to stop in next week to see what tiaras are sparkling next! In the meantime, please enjoy this little window into the gorgeous tiaras still owned by the former royal family of Portugal!

Which tiara from the Braganza collection would you most like to try on?

This Week in Royal Tiaras: October 19-25

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October 19-25, 2018
What. A. Week! I’ll let the tiaras speak for themselves. Good luck with your decisions in this week’s poll — it’s a tough one! (PS: please note that some gifs in this post contain flash photography!)
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20. The Countess of Wessex dazzled in the aquamarine and diamond tiara loaned to her by the Queen for Tuesday’s Dutch state banquet at Buckingham Palace. (More on the tiara here!)

19. For Monday’s state dinner in Portugal, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore her lovely laurel wreath tiara. (More gala jewels over here!)
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18. For the annual legislative gala in Norway on Thursday, Crown Princess Mette-Marit chose the tiara from the family’s amethyst parure. After a week of sad news regarding her health, it was great to see her looking well and in gala mode. (Learn more about the amethysts here!)
17. For Wednesday’s gala at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Princess Benedikte paired her Floral Birthday Tiara with pearls. (More on the tiara here!)
16. Princess Marie of Denmark stuck with her favorite sparkler, Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, for Wednesday’s gala. (More over here!)
15. For Wednesday’s gala, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore the all-diamond setting of her wedding tiara, pairing it with diamond fringe earrings. (More on the tiara here!)
14. Queen Margrethe II dripped in diamonds for Wednesday’s gala in Denmark, including the Floral Aigrette and Queen Louise’s Diamond Floral Bracelet, which was worn as a choker necklace. (Learn about the tiara here and the bracelet/necklace here!)
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13. For Tuesday’s Dutch state banquet in London, the Duchess of Cornwall paired the Greville Tiara with her pearl choker necklace with the magnificent pink topaz clasp. (More gala jewels here!)
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12. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was resplendent in diamonds for the state banquet, including the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, her Diamond Festoon Necklace, and the Cullinan III and IV Brooch. (Much more over here!)
11. For the Belgian state banquet in Portugal on Monday, the Duchess of Braganza sparkled in her Floral Necklace Tiara. (More on the banquet here!)
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10. Princess Michael of Kent paired the Kent Pearl Festoon Tiara with aquamarines for Tuesday’s Dutch state banquet in London. (More over here!)
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9. Lady Elizabeth Anson, who is a cousin of several royal families, wore her diamond wedding tiara for Tuesday’s state banquet in Britain. (More on Elizabeth and her jewels here!)
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8. Princess Astrid chose a classic piece, the Vasa Tiara, for Thursday’s gala in Oslo. (Learn more about the tiara here!)

7. The Duchess of Gloucester chose the magnificent Cartier Indian Tiara for Tuesday’s Dutch state banquet. (More here!)
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6. Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau sparkled in sapphires from the Dutch royal collection for the state banquet in London on Tuesday. (More here!)
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5. It’s always lovely to see Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and Diana’s Pearl Drop Earrings, but the Duchess of Cambridge really wowed us on Tuesday evening by wearing Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace at the Dutch state banquet. (More here!)
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4. Queen Sonja of Norway surprised us by wearing Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara for Thursday’s gala in Oslo; she hadn’t worn the tiara in public in a number of years, and on this occasion, she paired it with other lovely diamond heirloom jewels, including pieces from the collection of Queen Alexandra. (More on the tiara here!)
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3. Duchess Sophie of Württemberg, a direct descendant of Württemberg’s last king, was lovely in the family’s diamond wedding tiara at her nuptials in Tegernsee on Saturday.

2. Duchess Sophie’s aunt, Mathilde, gave us all a thrill by wearing the (real!) Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara for her niece’s wedding ball this weekend. (Much more over here!)
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1. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands’s triumphant arrival in the full Stuart Tiara and its matching devant de corsage may be the royal jewel moment of the year, let alone the week! (Much more on her jewels over here!)

Belgian State Visit Jewels in Portugal

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FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images

Everybody’s been buzzing about the Dutch state visit to the United Kingdom, which kicks off later today, but on Monday, we had more state visit jewels in a different corner of the continent.

FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians are currently guests of the Portuguese government. They were received yesterday by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Lisbon.

FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images

Mathilde wore her diamond and pearl drop wedding earrings for the welcome ceremony and various engagements in the city. She also had a miniature version of the ribbon of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator, which she received during this visit.

FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images

She also wore her diamond and sapphire ring and her usual watch and gold bracelet combination.

Belgian Royal Palace

On Monday evening, Philippe and Mathilde attended a state banquet at the Palace of Ajuda.

Mathilde added diamonds to her hair, ears, and wrist for the occasion. She also wore the sash, star, and collar of the Order of Henry the Navigator.

The tiara was one of her wedding gifts nearly two decades ago: the Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara. (Learn more about its history here!) She also wore a pair of her diamond fringe earrings.

We were also treated to a bonus tiara! The Duchess of Braganza, wife of the Portuguese pretender, wore the Braganza Floral Necklace Tiara for the banquet. (You can read more about it here!)