ROYAL COURT DRESDEN, Feb. 13th in 1865
The marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia, youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Saxony, with Duke Karl Theodore ef Bavaria, took place on Saturday evening in the royal chapel. The ceremony was attended by the Empress of Austria, the three sisters of the bride-groom, the Hereditary Princesa of Thurn and Taxis, the Duchess Charlotte of Bavaria, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Archduke Ludwig of Austria, Prince Albrecht of Prussia, and a numerous and brilliant company of visitors.
A grand dinner was afterwards given at Court, when the King of Saxony drank the health of the newly-married pair. On Sunday evening a festive performance tock place in the royal theatre, to which the corps diplomatique and a select and distinguished company had been invited.
The Duke and Duchess Karl Theodore were present, and were greeted with repeated-cheers both upon entering and leaving the house. After the overture a prologue, specially written for the occasion, was spoken by Emil Devrient, in which the congratulations of the Saxon people were expressed with considerable feeling and good taste. The opera was Auber's "Fairy Lake." t - Thursday 16 February 1865
Some of the Wedding Presents - pictured above:
The sapphire necklace is said to have been the wedding present of Empress Elisabeth of Austria to her sister-in-law, the wife of her favourite brother Carl Theodor.
Sapphire and diamond necklace
Set with oval, cushion-shaped and step-cut sapphires, circular-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds, length approximately 430mm,
Accompanied by SSEF report no. 89130, stating that twenty-one sapphires are of Ceylon origin and two are of basaltic origin, all with no indications of heating. The necklace was auctioned at Sothebys in 2017 for 447,000 CHF.
Long time I believed, the necklace was made by Köchert, it was displayed by Köchert Vienna, but nothing is proofed.
The Sapphire - Diamond Flowers and Blossoms Parure, consisting of a necklace with a pendant of sapphire and diamonds, a large brooch and the matching tiara. All sapphires are of Ceylon origin.
The tiara designed as a spray of forget-me-nots and anemones, set with oval and cushion-shaped sapphires accented with circular-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds, inner circumference approximately 495mm, later tiara fitting, the hair ornament of similar design, set with oval, cushion-shaped and step-cut sapphires, may be worn as a pendant, pendant hook, one diamond deficient.
The sapphire diamond tiara has a size of L50mm W160mm, brooch L90mm W130mm, in gold and silver. The Tiara and brooch, pendants and headornaments are sold in 2017 at Sothebys for 237,500 CHF.
More royal wedding gifts
Sources:Morning Post;Sothebys;
Danke an Mags und Volker, für Ihre Hilfe, ein Rätsel über 10 Jahre.
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