Thursday, June 25, 2015

Diamonds & Co: National Day Gala Jewels

Photos: Marc Schmitt / Cour grand-ducale
National day is over and so it's high time to focus on the sparkliest of all national day events, the gala reception. To round off national day, the Grand Ducal Family traditionally hosts the members of government, the bureau of the Chamber of Deputies, the Council of State, representatives of the judiciary, heads of the administration and foreign ambassadors for a reception featuring tiaras, gowns, dashing gentlemen and, for the first time for the ladies, orders (which even brings us some extra sparkle!) Let's start with the Grand Duchess on the left and work us all the way through to Princess Alexandra on the right...

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the Belgian Scroll Tiara, an all-diamond wedding gift to her late mother-in-law, together with Princess Ingeborg's Pearl and Diamond Brooch, as well as earrings that might just go back all the way to Grand Duchess Adelheid, great-great-grandmother of Grand Duke Henri.

The same Adelheid (or Adelaide) that was also the original owner of the tiara worn by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, the Grand Duchess Adelaide Tiara featuring a large sapphire and diamonds. The Hereditary Grand Duchess accessorised her tiara with her own diamond earrings and one of the Nassau Rose Brooches.

Kinda seems like these days every national day brings us a new tiara, non? Last year it was Stéphanie, this year it is Princess Claire. I had secretly hoped that her very rich family might have gifted her some glittering jewels for her wedding and that hope might have just come true: At least Princess Claire wore a never seen before bandeau tiara featuring rubies (or garnets) and diamonds plus some major earrings and necklace also made out of rubies and diamonds.

Princess Tessy's jewels, in difference, are much less of a mystery. For the first time, she wore the tiara, necklace and earrings of the Oval Amethyst Parure, previously worn by an array of Grand Ducal ladies ranging from Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte and her daughters Marie-Astrid and Margaretha to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie.

Rounding off our tiara quintet is Princess Alexandra, who was sporting the Citrine or Topaz and Pearl Tiara thus echoing the colour of the sash of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau. Fun fact: Princess Alexandra is the first and only Luxembourgish princess who holds the highest of the Grand Duchy's orders. Even Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte and Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa were only given the order when their husbands became sovereigns.

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