Duchess of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria married Princess Louise of Prussia. The Queen gave a magnificent diamond tiara, brilliants hanging down in sparkling peaks from a central wreath of brilliants of pure water in Indian style with emeralds.
On 2 March 1879 Queen Victoria recorded in her journal that she had told her son, Arthur, Duke of Connaught, she would give his wife to be, an Indian diadem. Then on 12 March 1879 Queen Victoria described showing her gifts to the bride and others, again referring to an Indian diadem.
The Duchess was pictured, with the royal tiara, only one time in 1893, see above, and give it later to her daughter Princess Patricia of Connaught.
In 1911, the Duke was appointed Governor General of Canada. Princess Patricia accompanied her parents to Canada, and she became popular there, on those occasion she wore her mothers wedding gift, the Indian diamond tiara as stomacher, without the center, of a movable ornament like a sarpech on top, with hanging emerald drop.
Sarpech, also known as an aigrette is a turban ornament that was worn by significant Hindu and Muslim princes.
Princess Patricia of Connaught | Indian Diadem of Diamonds and Emeralds | Stomacher Brooch Royal Jewel | Wedding Gift from Queen Victoria
She had her own jewels and tiaras for royal events, because , her mother’s precarious health meant the unmarried Patricia often step in for her mother, as vice-regal hostess, especially during the Duke of Connaught’s tenure as Canada’s governor general from 1911 to 1916.
Notes from the press of the days: It is going to cost Germany over half a million dollars to get her future Emperor married, but in return for their money the folk of the fatherland will have a show of pomp and ceremony such as seldom has been seen in modern Europe. In the preparations for his eldest son’s wedding to the Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, which is now set for Monday, May 22,1905, the Kaiser is giving full reign to his love of imperial splendor and display. On the marriage ceremony itself, which will take place in the magnificent new cathedral in Berlin in the presence of an exalted company whose like never has gathered under one roof, $50,000 will be spent. The presents which will be given to the young couple by municipalities and public corporations will amount to a. total of at least $250,000, while a similar sum is being spent on the bride’s trousseau.
On her wedding day the Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin will be almost 19 years of age, while her young husband will have attained the age of 23.
No part of the elaborate ceremonial In connection with her wedding will be more impressive than the Duchess Cecilie’s journey from her home in Schwerin to Berlin, which will take place a few days before her marriage. From the palace of her brother, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with whom she has lived up to now, to the Schwerin railway station the Duchess will be escorted by the Grand Duke himself, by the Ministers of state of the grand duchy, by the high officers of the garrison at Schwerin and by a deputation of noblemen and noblewomen representing the leading families of Mecklenburg aristocracy.
Surrounded by a magnificent company, Duchess Cecilie will drive in an open carriage from her home to the railway station, where a special train will be waiting to convey her to Berlin. This train will consist of cars painted in blue and gold. The locomotive will be gaily decorated with flowers and a wreath of myrtle will be hung around the stack. The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as well as a magnificent suite consisting of over fifty persons will escort Duchess Cecilie to Berlin, a journey of about three hours. A guard of honor will be drawn up on the platform of the station at Schwerin and at the moment the train begins to glide away on its journey these troops will present arms, a roll will be beaten on the drums and a blast of trumpets will proclaim the departure of the Crown Prince’s bride. At the same moment the guns of the fortress of Schwerin will boom out a salute of thirty-three guns, and there will be cheers from the children of the public schools of the little capital, drawn up on the platform.
The arrival at Berlin will be a still more impressive affair. On the platform the German Emperor, the Crown Prince, the five younger sons of the Kaiser, the Emperor’s brother, Prince Henry, and four other royal princes of the Hohenzollern family will be waiting to greet Duchess Cecilie. The moment the train slops the bride-elect will descend the steps of the saloon car and will be embraced and kissed first by the Emperor and then by the Crown Prince, who probably will secretly resent the rigid rules of court etiquette which gives this imperial father the right of precedence on this occasion.
Duchess Cecilie will then shake hands with the other royal princes while the usual military honors are being paid to her. The royal party will then enter open carriages to drive to the Imperial castle situated in the heart of the city of Berlin. The Emperor and the Duchess Cecilie will ride side by side in the first carriage, the Crown Prince sitting opposite to them with his back to the coachman. The other royal princes and the various suites will follow in other carriages, of which there will be about thirty in the procession. The state carriages conveying the Emperor, Crown Prince and Duchess Cecilie will be drawn by six white horses and will be preceded and followed by a squadron of cavalry guards as an escort. The streets through which the procession of the carriages will pass will be lined with spectators who will accord their future Empress a warm popular reception. The German Empress will be waiting on the threshold pt the imperial castle, where she will embrace and kiss her future daughter-in-law. Duchess Cecilie will remain in her residence at the imperial castle, but the Crown Prince will continue to reside in the palace at Potsdam, coming into Berlin each morning by train and returning each evening, for etiquette provides that he shall not sleep under the same roof as his bride during the few nights preceding the wedding. The last day or two will be fully occupied with the completion of all the necessary arrangements.
The wedding ceremony will be solemnized in the new cathedral which the German Emperor has erected on the open space in front of the imperial castle in Berlin. The distance from the imperial castle to the cathedral is only two or three hundred yards and the wedding party will pass from one building to the other on foot. The Crown Prince will wear the uniform of the First Regiment of Guards, consisting of a long blue coat, blue trousers and gaiters extending to the knees. He will wear a helmet with white plumes and his breast will be decorated with tho ribbons of all the exalted orders to which he belongs.
After the Crown Prince has taken up his stand in the cathedral in front of the altar the German Emperor will leave the imperial castle, accompanied by the Empress, the other members of the Prussian royal family and all the royal guests, who will be present as representatives of the reigning families of Europe. These will include the King of Spain; the Czar‘ s brother. Grand Duke Michael of Russia: the successor to the Austrian throne. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the Duke of Aosta, representing Italy, and the Prince of Wales, representing England.
Including the rulers of the smaller German states, there will be twenty reigning monarchs and thirty royal Princes and Princesses, making a total of over fifty royal personages present at the wedding. These royalties, with their suites of gorgeously uniformed officers, will form a company of unprecedented brilliancy.
After the members of this party have entered the cathedral and have taken their allotted seats the bride will leave the Imperial castle to proceed to the ceremony.
She will wear a white dress adorned with the costliest lace, for which her dressmaker will receive a check for $25,000; a long white veil and a small wreath of myrtle with the nuptial crown, „The Prinzessinnenkrone „on her head.
The ceremony will last rather more than half an hour and as soon as it is concluded the organ will strike up a wedding march, while the guns of the forts around Berlin will fire a salute of 101 guns.
A magnificent state banquet will be given In the imperial castle, at which covers will be laid for five hundred guests. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess will sit side by side at one end of the central table, with the Emperor and the Empress opposite them at the other end. The Emperor will propose the toast of the young couple, and he’s expected to make a speech in which he will refer to the high destiny in store for his son when he is called upon to ascend the Imperial throne of Germany.
The wedding presents, which will number many hundreds, will be piled in heaps on tables in one of the big halls of the castle and will be inspected by the guests of the wedding party.
Later In the day the Crown Prince and his bride will leave Berlin to spend their honeymoon at the Crown Prince’s estate in Silesia. The distinguished pair will possess a stable of 200 horses, some for riding and some for driving.
The bride’s trousseau will come of hundreds of trunks, full of coats and fur tunes articles. It is hat the presents given to the imperial couple by royal personages throughout Europe win amount to a total of at least S28M*
Prinzessin Marie von Preussen| Sapphire Parure Diadem Tiara Diamond Jewelry|Royal Imperial Oranien-Nassau Jewels | Princess Heinrich of the Netherlands Dutch Royal Diamonds
Prince Henry of the Netherlands was one of the richest Princes in the world. A silver mine in America brings him a princely income and he has many Dutch, Russian and other bonds, with 99 properties in Holland – the maximum number, for the King alone can own 100 – and some in other countries.
His royal Bride has got the richest jewels …the oranien nassau diamonds….
By contrast, the very same jewelry gifts have been carried out by the same company in private compositions, which the prince Heinrich venerated his bride. It is a double jewelry: tiara, corsage and necklace in sapphires and diamonds, as in diamonds to wear.
The stones supplied by the prince are among the greatest rarities, and a large sapphire and a large diamond below are estimated at 100,000 each; the whole decoration has a value of more than 1 000 000.
The tasteful and dignified execution of the work is a high honor to our local arts and crafts. The prince has offered his bride, as a wedding gift, a wealth of diamonds and other gemstones, as he would seldom appear in such abundance and beauty even in princely weddings
The Berlin industry has been particularly honored to be entrusted with the creation of the jewelery, which was supplied by the court jewelers S. Friedberg Sons.
The whole Corbeille de mariage consists of a diadem, a corsage (big brooch), a necklace with 11 pendulum oques and an extension of the same to the corsage as so-called. Esclavage, which ends in two shoulder brooches.
This jewelery, made after drawings by Holbein, can be worn in two ways, with sapphires or all in brilliants.
The large sapphires and diamonds supplied by Prince Heinrich are among the rarities that hardly any of the most famous treasure troves in the world have.
The great sapphire of the corsage, weighing about 200 ct, of the most beautiful purest blue of more than 100,000 ct in value, is of no less beauty than a second sapphire cabochon of over 100 cts, which is matched by the five large sapphires of the diadem.
The large brilliants to be screwed in place of the sapphires, solitaires from 10 to 30 carats a piece, are of the purest water as they are brought to Brazil only in the earliest time to days.
All jewelry is protected from a value of one million marks.
The Crown Princess of the Hellenes got priceless jewels from her imperial family – interesting details about an Turquoise Parure with tiara, necklace, chocker, bracelets, stomacher, brooches…..
MerkeKing Humbert of Italy handed to the Emperor a splendid tiara of diamonds as a wedding present for Princess Sophie – described it as a magnificent specimen of Italian workmanship – probably the „C“ tiara which is pictured above and later worn by Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, Queen Sofía (born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark and later owned by Princess Irene of Greece, daughter of Queen Friederike of Greece.
The picture above is Queen Friederike’s large Diamond Scroll Tiara, it was also wearable as necklace. Queen Friederike sold it short before her death. King Humbert of Italy handed to the Emperor a splendid tiara of diamonds as a wedding present for Princess Sophie – described it as a magnificent specimen of Italian workmanship – probably the“C“ tiara which is pictured above and later worn by Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, Queen Sofía (born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark and later owned by Princess Irene of Greece, daughter of Queen Friederike of Greece.
Circa 20 messingbeschlagene Riesenkoffer bergen den königlichen Trousseau, der die Prinzessin Sophie von Preußen in ihr neues Heim nach Griechenland begleiten……die königlichen Hochzeitsgeschenke
Schmuck | Aquamarin Ohrringe | Cecilie Kronprinzessin von Preussen
Die Eheschließung zwischen Dorothea von Salviati (1907-1972), links im Bild, und Prinz Wilhelm von Preussen, im Jahre 1933 war nach dem hohenzollerischen Hausgesetz zufolge nicht ebenbürtig. In Folge dessen musste Prinz Wilhelm als ältester Enkel Kaiser Wilhelms II. auf seine Erstgeburtsrechte verzichten. Sein Bruder Prinz Louis Ferdinand (1907-1994) trat an seine Stelle.
Im Jahr 1940 fiel er in Frankreich, bei den Kämpfen um Valenciennes. Seine Beisetzung im Potsdamer Antikentempel fand unter größter Anteilnahme der Bevölkerung statt und löste dadurch, den von Hitler verkündeten „Prinzen-Erlass“ aus, der ab 1943 alle Mitglieder ehemals regierender Häuser aus der Wehrmacht ausschloss.
Nach dem Dekret des Kaisers war es der Preussen-Familie untersagt an der Trauung teilzunehmen, jedoch auf dem Weg zu den Flitterwochen in Norderney, machten die Brautleute einen Zwischenstopp und fuhren nach Schloss Oels in die die Nähe von Breslau, wo Wilhelm seine neue Frau den Eltern vorstellte. Die Kronprinzessin brach das Eis, als Sie die Braut in den Arm nahm. Als eine Versöhnungsgeste übergab ihr Cecilie ein Hochzeitsgeschenk, grosse Aquamarine, die sie von Kaiser Wilhelm und Kaiserin Auguste Victoria zur Geburt, von Prinz Wilhelm 1906, geschenkt bekommen hatte.
Kronprinzessin Cecilie schenkte Ihrer Schwiegertochter unter anderem dieses Paar Aquamarin Diamant Ohrringe. Prinzessin Dorothea trug die Ohrringe oben auf einem Foto, aus den 1940ern, sowie eine grosse Clusterbrosche gut sichtbar.
Die facettierten Aquamarine sind in einer offen gearbeitet Fassung aus Diamanten und Gold aus dem frühen 20.Jdt und die Aufhängung wurde später angebracht. Kronprinzessin Cecilie hatte die Ohrläppchen nicht durchstochen, sondern trug nur Ohr-Schrauben. Der Ohrschmuck wird nicht durch das am Ohr gestochene Ohrringloch durchgesteckt, sondern mittels Klemmschrauben gehalten.
Prinzessin Dorothea hat die Ohrhänger später ihrer Tochter Felicitas vermacht, sie wurde am 7. Juni 1934 in der Villa Salviati in Bonn als älteste von zwei Töchtern des Prinzen Wilhelm (1906-1940) geboren. Ein besonders enges Verhältnis hatte Felicitas, zu ihrer Großmutter Kronprinzessin Cecilie, die sie anfangs in Bad Kissingen, später in ihrem neuen Wohnsitz in Stuttgart regelmäßig besuchte.
Prinzessin Felicitas war zweimal verheiratet. Aus ihrer 1958 mit Dinnies von der Osten (*1929) geschlossenen Ehe gingen vier Kinder hervor. Aus ihrer zweiten Ehe mit Jörg von Nostitz-Wallwitz (*1937) entstammt eine weitere Tochter.
Am 1. August 2009 verstarb Prinzessin Felicitas von Preussen, Frau von Nostiz-Wallwitz im Alter von 75 Jahren.
Ein Paar weitere Aquamarin Ohrringe sind vom Hausschmuck der Preussen bekannt und erhalten, sie gehörten der Königin Luise von Preussen und waren Bestand des Familienschmucks, nicht der Kronjuwelen. Die Aquamarine der Königin Luise waren zur freien Verfügung des Königs und Kaisers, es kann sein, dass ein Teil dieser Aquamarine an Kronprinzessin Cecilie, bzw dann an Prinzessin Dorothea gelangten.
Crown Princess Cecilie| Prussian Royal Jewels | Aquamarines
In 1933, the marriage of Dorothea von Salviati (1907-1972), pictured above, and Prince Wilhelm of Prussia was not equal, according to Hohenzollern House Law. As a consequence of his morganatic marriage, Prince Wilhelm had to give up his primogeniture as the eldest grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II. His place in the line of succession was taken by his brother Prince Louis Ferdinand (1907-1994). A decree of the Emperor prohibited the Prussian royal family from attending the wedding ceremony; consequently the groom’s parents were not present.
Despite the obstacles that had been placed in the young couple’s way, the bride wrote to Count Hans Juergen von Blumenthal, who was best man at their wedding, that „life is getting to be nicer every day.“
From Bonn, the scene of their marriage, the couple went for a honeymoon to Norderney. Stopping at the Mecklenburg estate of Count Blumenthal, they talked over possibilities and incidents that might occur when they arrived at Oels castle, near Breslau, where Wilhelm was to introduce his wife to his parents.
With some fear and trepidation, Dorothea afterwards confided, she unpacked her trunk in the room to which the young couple was ushered and wondered just how the first meeting would be, when in came the Crown Princess, who threw her arms about her, kissed her fondly, and told her to call her mother. That broke the ice.
As an outward sign of reconciliation, Cecile handed her as a belated wedding gift the costly jewels–huge aquamarines–given her by the former Kaiser Wilhelm II and the late Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria when she bore her first son, Wilhelm, now Dorothea’s husband.
The Crown Prince, entering a few moments later, also embraced his young daughter-in-law affectionately.
Kronprinz Wilhelm of Prussia and his daughter-in-law Princess Dorothea | Aquamarine of Queen Luise
Princess Dorothea gave the earrings to her eldest daughter Princess Felicitas who was born 7 June 1932 in the Villa Salviati in Bonn. Princess Dorothea wears the aquamarine and diamond drop earrings and a large cluster brooch in the picture on top.
And at the christening of Felicitas with her father-in-law, seen on the right, she wore a large cluster brooch, very similar to the Aquamarine clusters (worn as brooches, bracelet and choker) of Queen Luise of Prussia – but this is not solved. These jewels were the heritage of the famous Queen Luise, not part of the crown jewels, as well as part of the House Jewels, with which the King and Kaiser could do what he wanted.
As Crown Princess Cecile did not have pierced ears she wore the earrings with screw fittings, which explains the later modifications to the earrings as indicated in the auction catalogue.
A pair of aquamarine and diamond earrings, early 20th century; each open work pendant set with a mixed-cut aquamarine, within a frame of rose diamonds, later hinged post fittings, six rose diamonds deficient.
The German Crown Princess Cecile, Duchess zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1886-1954), Princess Dorothea of Prussia (1907-1972), her daughter-in-law and thence by descent. Sold at auction in 2015 for £8,125.
Quellen: Preussen.de;Morgenpost 1933; The TIMES;Washington Post;Sotheby’s;
Die russische Diamantbrosche mit ca 4,50-5,50ct Diamanten und Diamantrosen besetzt, war ein Geschenk von Grossfürstin Marie von Russland (1840-1920) an Ihre Nichte, der deutschen Kronprinzessin Cecilie, geb. Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1886-1954).
Die Diamantbrosche ist aus zwei grossen ovalen Diamantschlaufen. Der Anlass für dieses Geschenk ist nicht mehr überliefert, Marie, Grossfürstin Vladimir ebenfalls eine geborene Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin, war eine grosse Schmuckliebhaberin und hatte eine enorme Schmuckkollection.
Kronprinzessin Cecilie von Preussen | Diamant Brosche | Schmuck |
Die Brosche ist in Russland aus Gold und Silber gefertigt und hat eine typische Verarbeitung und den Stil, der die Schmuckstücke so unvergleichlich prächtig macht.
Eine Seite der Fassungen ist offen und abgeflacht zum Rand, der gegenüberliegende Rand, ist eine scharfe Linie aus Edelmetall die den Schmuck rahmt.
Ein Halsband mit solchen Diamant-Schlaufen ist bekannt, dies gehörte Grossfürstin Elisabeth von Russland.
Kronprinzessin Cecilies Bild links, stammt aus dem Jahr 1950.
Sie hat die Diamant-Brosche Ihrer Schwiegertochter, Dorothea von Salviati (1907-1972) hinterlassen, die mit ihrem ältesten Sohn Prinz Wilhelm von Preussen verheiratet war.
Die Tochter von Prinz Wilhelm und Prinzessin Dorothea, Prinzessin Felicitas von Preussen, spätere Frau von Nostitz-Wallwitz, trug die Brosche zuletzt im Jahr 2004 in Potsdam, wie oben im Bild zu sehen.
Im Jahr 2015 wurde die Diamantbrosche für 6,875 GBP versteigert.
The Russian diamond brooch, with diamonds and rose-cut diamonds approx 4.50-5.50ct, was a gift from Grand Duchess Marie of Russia (1840-1920) to her niece, the German Crown Princess Cecilie, born Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1886-1954).
The diamond pin is made of two large oval diamond loops. The occasion for this gift is no longer known. Marie, Grand Duchess Vladimir, also born Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was a great lover of jewellery and had a tremendous jewellery collection.
The brooch of late nineteenth-century Russian design was made in Russia of gold and
silver and has the typical manufacture and the style that makes Imperial Russian jewels so incomparably magnificent. One side of the brooch is open and flattened to the edge, the opposite edge is a sharp line that frames the jewellery made of precious metals.
Russia Diamond Brooch | Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia |
A necklace with such diamond loops is known, which was owned by Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia.
Crown Princess Cecilie’s picture on the left on top, dates back to the 1950s.
She left the diamond brooch to her daughter-in-law, Dorothea von Salviati (1907-1972), who was married to her eldest son, Prince William of Prussia.
In 2004, Princess Felicitas von Preussen, the daughter of Prince William and Princess Dorothea and the wife of Jorg Hartwig von Nostitz-Wallwitz, wore the brooch publicly in Potsdam 2004 as seen in the picture above.
In 2015, the diamond brooch was sold at auction for £6,875.
Diamant-Rubin Brosche – das Taufgeschenk des Kaisers von Österreich
Rubin-Diamant-Brosche, ein Geschenk des Kaisers von Österreich an die deutsche Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria
Erzherzog Eugen überbrachte der deutschen Kaiserin als Taufgeschenk des Kaisers ein prachtvolles Juwel.
Der Bruder der spanischen Königin vertrat 1891, den Kaiser in Berlin zur Taufe des jüngstgeborenen Sohnes, Prinz Joachim, des deutschen Kaiserpaares.
„Die Kaiserin war freudigst überrascht, das Geschenk bestand aus einer grossen Schleife in Maschenform aus den schönsten reinsten Brillanten, den edelsten Rubinen. Als herrlichtes Juwel birgt es einen alt indischen Stein von erlesenem Schliff in sogenannter Tropfenform.
Dieser Stein ist ein Unicum, da ein zweiter seiner Art nicht existiert. Die Schleife, an der Brust zu tragen, ist zerlegbar, so dass sie nach dem Wunsch der hohen Besitzerin, bald in kleiner, bald in größerer Form benützt werden kann. Eventuell auch als Kopfnadel getragen werden könnte.
Über die kunstvolle Fassung der Steine und Form der Schleife dürften bei dem Wiener Hof- und Kammerjuwelier Emil Biedermann näheres zu erfahren sein.“
Der Wert des Schmuck wurde mit 40.000 Gulden benannt.
Im grossen Bild oben, trägt Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria eine Brosche in Schleifenform mit Anhänger und einem Briolette und zwei Anhängern jeweil an den Schleifenflanken, wie beschrieben aus der Zeit und der grossen Form.
Von Juwelier Köchert ist eine Skizze erhalten, die eine solche Schleife ohne Anhänger und Pendeloques, bzw dem Briolette, zeigt.
Evtl wurde das Schmuckstück zu diesem Zweck prächtiger ergänzt. Und ist doch nicht von E.Biedermann gefertigt, denn der wollte sich lt Zeitungsbericht nicht zu diesem Schmuckstück äussern.
„Dem freundlichen Wink unseres ausgezeichneten Berichterstatters Folge leistend, haben wir uns auch an Herrn E.Biedermann gewendet, konnten aber von dem Herrn Hof-und Kammerjuwelier ebenso wie an andererer masgebender Stelle leider keine näheren Einzelheiten über den Schmuck erfahren.“
Der spätere Verbleib der Brosche, nach dem Tode von Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria, bis 1977 ist nicht bekannt.
Im April 1977 wurde bei Christie’s in Genf eine Rubinbrosche versteigert, die auf die Beschreibung exakt passt, jedoch ohne Provinience. Ich habe eine Abbildung auf der englischen Webseite über diese Rubinbrosche>> mit der Brosche ergänzt.
Wedding Princess Royal | Fringe Pattern Diamond Ornamets |Peigne Corsage Head Jewel Necklace| Prussia Hohenzollern Princess Victoria Kaiserin Friedrich Empress Friedrich Princess Royal
Schmuck und Juwelen der Deutsche Fürstenhäuser | Royal Jewels – Historical Jewerly and Treasure of Royals and Aristocracy | bijoux historiques| исторические драгоценности
