Mit ausgesuchten 212 Perlen von 2530 Grain Gewicht
und 1998 Diamanten des französischen Kronschatzes, wurde 1853
von Lemmonier für Kaiserin Eugenie, der Gemahlin von Napoleon
III. , aus einem Diadem der 1793 enthaupteten Marie Antoinette gefertigt,
1890 gelangte es nach Regensburg.
Der Grossvater von Johannes, Fürst Albert(1867-1952)
erstand es aus der Konkursmasse des französichen Kaiserreichs
- als Hochzeitsgeschenk für die Erzherzogin Margarete von Österreich
(1870-1955), die er zur Fürstin von Thurn und Taxis machte.
Seitdem wurde der brillante Kopfschmuck, jeder Fürstinnen zur
Hochzeit aufs Haupt gesetzt.
"Ich trage nicht so oft Kronen - weshalb sollte
ich also so viele aufbewahren ?" so wird Gloria von Thurn und
Taxis anlässlich des Verkaufs ihres Familienschmucks zitiert.
Bei dem Diadem, aber so weiss man, da hätte ihr das Herz geblutet.
....Das Diadem der Kaiserin Eugenie, das der Louvre ersteigert hat,
trug die Fürstin bei ihrer Hochzeit mit Fürst Johannes,
oben im Bild.
Ein weiteres
Bild von der Fürstenhochzeit mit dem Diadem und die Entstehung
des Diadems aus den Perlen des französischen Kronschatz.
935 000 Mark brachte das "Krönchen" das einst für
Kaiserin Eugenie gefertigt wurde, vom Erlös konnte ein Teil
der durch den Tod des Fürsten, fällig gewordene Erbschaftssteuer
bezahlt werden. Eine französische Fördergruppe hat das
schöne Schmuckstück ersteigert und anschliessend dem Louvre
zur Verfügung gestellt.
Ein weiteres Bild des Diadems,
mit der Fürstin Margarethe
Die Perlenbrosche der Fürstin
Margarethe
Pearl and Diamond Tiara of Empress Eugenie
A tiara of exceptionally artistic openwork design,
adorned with large, round pearls and surounted by a row of magnificeent
pear-shaped pearls.
Designed as a row of pearls alterning with cushion-shaped diamond
leaves supporting a row of eight scrolled leaf motifs set with similarily
cut diamonds decorated with pearls, surmounted by a large pear shaped
peals between diamond leafage, on silver and gold mounted, the most
of the pearls are drilled.
212 pearls weighting 2520 grains and 1998 brillants, was part of
the extensive order given by Napoleon III. to the leading Parisian
jewellers Lemonierm ti create a outstanding jewellery, out of precious
stones and peearls form the State Treasury on the occasion of htis
marriage to Eugenie de Gusman, Comtess de Teba.
The pearls come from a parure assembled from 1810 for Napoleon I`s
second Empress, the Archduchess Marie-Louise, daughter of the Emperor
Franz I of Austria.
This was enterely transformed between September 1819
and July 1820 by Bapst-Meniere. This was the jewellers to Louis
XVIII, for Marie-Therese, Madame Royale and Duchesse d´Angouleme,
the only surviving child of Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette,
before again beein remodelled in 1853.
Only a necklace of forty-seven pearls and four plaques
was preserved; the rest of the parure was made by Lemoniier, whose
two celebrated paures in emeralds and sapphires for Queen Isabella
of Spain had attracted the future Napoleon III´s attention
at the International Exhibitons of 1851, and by Francois Kramer
who was favoured by the Empress.
On the occasion of the imperial marriage on 29 Janury
1853 Lemonier received orders to execute a great pearls and diamond
stomacher incorparating the Perle Napoleon and Kramer two shoulder
- and two bodice-brooches.
Lemonier´s tiara and matching coronet followed later in the
same year.
Winterhalter painted the Empress wearing the two head ornaments
in 1855.
The Empress Eugenie probably wore this tiara when she accompanied
Napoleon III on a state visit to England in 1855. Queen Victoria
was charmed by Eugenie who showed her "splendid jewels,
many of which were Crown jewels which the Empress has had reset...."
Queen Victoria noted, that the Empress wore " the pearl
diadem" at dinner at Windsor Castle on 17 and 18 April.
The French Crown Jewels were exhibited at the paris Expostition
Unviverselle in 1878 and on their return visit to Paris a few months
later, the Queen and the Prince were conducted round the Exposition
Universelle and greatly admired "the truly superb Crown
Jewels, most beautifully set" on display in the exhibition.
(Queen Victoria, Leaves from a Journal)
The exhibition inspired the design of a lot of new
worrks including a diamond
and pearl diadem given as a wedding present to the Infanta Eulalia
by the Queen Regent of Spain.
After some years of indicision, the Republican government
decided to sell the Crown Jewels. The tiara was described by Arthur
Bloche as a "Bijoux du plus pur style Louis XVI" ,
that means a jewel in the purest Louis XVI style. Although he erroneously
dated it to 1820 and attributed it to Bapst, possibly contributed
to the legend that the tiara had belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette.
It was bought by Julius Jacobi for 78 100 Francs and as a piece
now associeted with Queen Marie Antoinette, daughter of Empress
Maria Theresia, it was aquired by Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis
in 1890 as an appropriate wedding present for another Austrian Archduchess,
Margarete, whom he married in Budapest on 16 July in that year.
At least the tiara is worn on the wedding of Princess
Gloria and Prince Johannes in 1980, see above in the picture the
Princess wearing the pearl and diamond tiara and the pearl and diamond
"devant de corsage" and at his sixtieth birthday ball
in 1986. More about the "devante
de corsage"
Princess Gloria sold this tiara for 935 000 Mark in 1992 to pay
tax, it`s now displayed at the Louvre, Paris.
source: Morel;Twining;Sothebys
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