Marie Chantal, Crown Princess Pavlos Jewellery 1: Ending 2023

[ldmemail]

Seeing Queen Frederika's tiara pop up makes me hope that the Poltimore would suddenly make a surprise outing... Please tell me Mr. Middleton has secretly bought it..? Oh, I really don't care but it would be nice to see "new" tiaras come back to use for a change. There are many princesses and queens that need new bling for the parties.

I agree with you absolutely !!! I miss seeing Princess Margaret wearing her exquisite tiara!!
We are unlikely to see it however as an "Asian collector" is quoted as having purchased it at auction. It isn't in Europe anyway!

 

[salma]

ITA about the earrings; I would have liked to see something more substantial and serious to go with the enormity of debut this diadem. Maybe it was a surprise to MC that she would be given this tiara to wear on her aunt-in-law's special occation. I can only think that if she is invited to QE2's Jubilee next month, this tiara would match that glittering event; cant wait!

I think the same. I am sure that Greek Royal family have a historic earrings for this tiara.

 

[ayvee]

Queen Frederika's died in 1981. After 30 years, this tiara shows up on MC. One reasoning I've read had something to do with avoiding inheritance taxes and quite possibly, Queen Frederika willed the tiara to Pavlos. Could someone explain how you avoid paying inheritance taxes if an item is not seen for 30 years?

This reminds me of Prince Gustav S-W-B (son of Princess Benedikte) who was given all the grandfather's material possessions to avoid inheritance taxes for Prince Richard (Bendikte's husband and Gustav's father).

Also, which inheritance tax laws does one follow - where the person died or the country of their citizenship?

Anyway, it's a nice mystery to figure why MC wore this tiara first before Queen Anne-Marie.

 

[branchg]

I´d like know why Queen Anne Marie has never worn this tiara.

It may not have been in her collection until recently. Although Anne-Marie has been quoted as saying Queen Sophie's diamond tiara was still "in the family", that could mean it was with any number of descendants or branches, one of whom may have quietly purchased it when Frederica was in-exile to help her out financially.

Marie-Chantel is very wealthy and may have re-purchased the tiara from whomever had it for so long. That's my speculation on the matter.

 

[Stefanie]

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Celebrates 40 Years on The Throne - Celebratory Service - Pictures - Zimbio

OMG OMG OMG OMG! She is!! YES! After all these years we can FINALLY see the tiara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Picture 59 on the list!!

Even more huge pics of the tiara in picture 79, and pic 97-99!! I specially like the one where she talks to Mette Marit.
And also some other close up´s of the Greek royal family!

 

[Isabella E.]

Love seeing this new/old tiara for the first time in years. Just gorgeous, but I would like to have seen it worn closed up a little more. I think that it did tend to look a little large on her. But her whole look was stunning, especially the dress.

 

[royaltywatcher]

Amazing tiara, but when did blue eye shadow come back?

 

[ldmemail]

Amazing tiara, but when did blue eye shadow come back?

It's grey eye shadow!

 

[Viv]

It may not have been in her collection
until recently. Although Anne-Marie has been quoted as saying
Queen Sophie's diamond tiara was still "in the family", that could mean
it was with any number of descendants or branches, one of whom
may have quietly purchased it when Frederica was in-exile to help
her out financially.

Marie-Chantel is very wealthy and may have re-purchased the tiara
from whomever had it for so long. That's my speculation on the matter.

Well put, I absolutely agree !
We discussed this briefly on the Danish RF forum and I better
continue over 'here'. I read somewhere that Ex-queen Frederika
sold the tiara in exile, but it's impossible to get this verified!
Anyway: Maybe the tiara really was sold, but then again -she
(Frederika) could also have 'pawned' it - put it up as a collateral for
a loan from a member of the extended family! Whatever - it would
take a considerable period before it could be worn again. Without
having a clue about the finances of the GRF there's good reason to assume that MC is the only member able to pay up.

It doesn't add up should Anne-Marie have had this tiara in her safe
for 30 years without wearing it! . Like her sisters she's much too fond
of a diamond studded piece of regal head gear to leave it alone!


viv

 

[grevinnan]

Could the tiara have been left for her daughter Princess Irene who perhaps decided to sell it and MC and Pavlos bought it. At the time Queen Frederika made the decisions on who would inherit what jewelry was there a possibility that she thought Princess Irene would get married and have many opportunities to wear such grand tiara?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Whereever MC got it from, my guess is that she bought it back "for the GRF" since she is the one with the money.

Unfortunately she is a crown princess without a country therefore - and this has nothing to do with the beauty of the tiara itself - I find it extremely tacky of her to wear such a piece that is worthy of a Queen.

 

[ldmemail]

Whereever MC got it from, my guess is that she bought it back "for the GRF" since she is the one with the money.

Unfortunately she is a crown princess without a country therefore - and this has nothing to do with the beauty of the tiara itself - I find it extremely tacky of her to wear such a piece that is worthy of a Queen.

What utter nonsense! The tiara was originally the wedding present to Princess Sophie of Prussia from her parents when she married the Greek Crown Prince! Therefore it is sublimely right for a Greek Crown Princess to wear the piece. And why tacky??? Marie-Chantal is a consumate Lady and a Royal Princess by marriage, known for her tast and style across the world - you simply cannot say she does anything in a "tacky" way!

 

[branchg]

Could the tiara have been left for her daughter Princess Irene who perhaps decided to sell it and MC and Pavlos bought it. At the time Queen Frederika made the decisions on who would inherit what jewelry was there a possibility that she thought Princess Irene would get married and have many opportunities to wear such grand tiara?

I think that's highly unlikely. If she left it to anyone, it would have been Sofia who had occasion to wear such a grand tiara as Queen of Spain and also took care of her mother in Madrid at the end of her life.

I still think Frederika sold the piece at some point in exile and Marie-Chantal was able to repurchase it. It wouldn't have sat in a vault for thirty years if Anne-Marie had the tiara, given that she was Queen of the Hellenes and it made perfect sense for her to wear it.

 

[Stefanie]

I believe that MC only might wear this tiara in Denmark. For being no longer a member of a reigning royal family it´s quíte strange that MC wears it f.i. instead of Anne-Marie. If MC bought it at an auction just for herself it must be an affront against her mother-in-law and the whole former greek royal family. And if she bought it, where and when? I think it much more belongs to Anne-Marie. Wonder why/whether Pavlos doesn´t/didn´t mediate.

 

[NGalitzine]

If it was sold outside the family wouldnt that have become known? Wouldn't someone have worn it at some time or other? If Frederika sold it that would have been before buyers were from China or Russia started gobbeling things up.

What was the relationship like between AM and Frederika? If it was not a close relationship perhaps AM did not want to wear something so closely associated with her mother in law so left it in the vaults or used it as collateral to help finance their life in exile.

 

[royaltywatcher]

Whereever MC got it from, my guess is that she bought it back "for the GRF" since she is the one with the money.

Unfortunately she is a crown princess without a country therefore - and this has nothing to do with the beauty of the tiara itself - I find it extremely tacky of her to wear such a piece that is worthy of a Queen.

I agree that something feels wrong. On the one hand, it is a huge tiara, and it is in the crown style more often worn by queens. (Some exceptions: Camilla and the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg) Has Maxima worn anything this big?

Also, it does seem likely that she bought it. If not, I think there would have been some information forthcoming about where it came from, if for no other reason than to spare MC the speculation that she bought it and then wore it before her mother-in-law. A better way to handle it would have been for MC to buy it and the queen to wear it several times before "giving" it to MC.

 

[Viv]

I believe that MC only might wear this tiara in Denmark.

Maybe someone has an idea of MC's royal 'track record'?? Which RF events does she (and Pavlos) attend, apart from the Danish and -
perhaps - the British to some degree? Mind you, we don't see her
often in Denmark!

For being no longer a member of a
reigning royal family it´s quíte strange that MC wears it f.i. instead
of Anne-Marie. If MC bought it at an auction just for herself it must
be an affront against her mother-in-law and the whole former greek
royal family. And if she bought it, where and when? I think it much
more belongs to Anne-Marie. Wonder why/whether Pavlos doesn´t/
didn´t mediate.

Stefanie, I wouldn't worry about that! The lack of a kingdom has
never been a hindrance for the former Greek RF to turn out in full
regalia! The Sophie-tiara was never at Anne-Marie's disposal and
IMO there's no chance she could ever have bought it back. She's got
four tiaras, which is not bad for a former Queen! I'm convinced that
she's pleased that the tiara is back in the family.

And oh, don't forget that Pavlos is not the first Greek prince to marry money ..!
viv

 

[Baroness of Books]

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment, if this tiara had been in the vaults all along, couldn't this be a case similar to Queen Elizabeth allowing the Duchess of Cornwall to wear the Boucheron and Delhi Durbar tiaras without wearing them herself since she favors certain ones of her own? As Viv mentioned, Anne-Marie has four tiaras of her own so maybe she passed along this one to M-C. However, the question is why did it take so long for Marie-Chantal to wear this tiara, unless she was waiting for a major tiara event like the Ruby Jubilee.

However, I can see where the money factor may play in all this!

 

[branchg]

That doesn't make any sense, given the importance of Queen Sophie's tiara to the limited collection of the Greek royal family's jewels. After the emerald parure, the Prussian diamond tiara is by far the most valuable and closely associated with Frederika and Sophie, both former Queen Consorts like Anne-Marie.

Anne-Marie certainly doesn't hesitate to wear Queen Olga's emeralds, so why wouldn't she wear Queen Sophie's impressive diamond tiara if she could? The answer is she couldn't because she didn't have it until now.

 

[Baroness of Books]

Also, it does seem likely that she bought it. If not, I think there would have been some information forthcoming about where it came from, if for no other reason than to spare MC the speculation that she bought it and then wore it before her mother-in-law. A better way to handle it would have been for MC to buy it and the queen to wear it several times before "giving" it to MC.

I like that idea, although they couldn't avoid that speculation because we'd then be asking again why didn't Anne Marie wear it before - unless she didn't have it all this time, as it seems is the prevailing scenario. One way or another, MC's money would be the factor in having purchased it back for the Greek family, but for her to wear as its present owner.

I just wonder where it's been all these years if not with the Greek royals, and why it hasn't been seen.

 

[samitude]

Since Queen Anne-Marie said in an interview a few years ago that the tiara was still in the family I doubt it was sold off to strangers. Here are some guesses.

A) I'm guessing that Queen Frederika willed it to Crown Prince Pavlos for the use of the crown princess. That would explain why Queen Anne-Marie hasn't been wearing it. There's also the possibility that the king and queen could avoid inheritance taxes by the tiara being passed on to their son instead of them.

B) Now, there has been some speculation that a distant family member quietly loaned money to Queen Frederika and that the tiara wasn't brought forth until the loan was paid off. If they didn't pay the loan in so many years than the distant family member got to keep the tiara.

C) Maybe Queen Frederika willed it to Crown Prince Pavlos, but stipulated in her will that it wasn't to be worn until so many years after her death.

 

[ldmemail]

That doesn't make any sense, given the importance of Queen Sophie's tiara to the limited collection of the Greek royal family's jewels. After the emerald parure, the Prussian diamond tiara is by far the most valuable and closely associated with Frederika and Sophie, both former Queen Consorts like Anne-Marie.

Anne-Marie certainly doesn't hesitate to wear Queen Olga's emeralds, so why wouldn't she wear Queen Sophie's impressive diamond tiara if she could? The answer is she couldn't because she didn't have it until now.

Firstly - the greek royal jewel collection may not be as large as other royal families' but it isn't really limited!
Secondly - I wonder if Queen Anne-Marie has not worn the late Queen Sophie's tiara because of its Prussian origins? The Danish Royal Family never forgave the Prussians for annexing Schleswig Holstein to the Prussian Empire! Just a thought!
Thirdly - Queen Frederica died in 1981 - 31 years ago - bearing in mind the size of her jewel collection, that is not such a long time for it not to be worn. Queen Anne-Marie quite obviously does not identify with the piece, therefore has not worn it! End of story...

 

[rubies]

I would guess that it was willed to P Pavlos..... or and maybe his wife did shell out some money so it wouldn't be sold by AM, I know I would want to keep it in the family and she certainly has the money to do it. Then no one speculates the finances of the GRF if this is all done under the table.

 

[Viv]

I wonder if Queen Anne-Marie has not worn the late Queen Sophie's tiara because of its Prussian origins? The Danish Royal Family never forgave the Prussians for annexing Schleswig Holstein to the Prussian Empire! ..

I doubt it - we have moved on since then! 1864 is such a long time ago, and besides we got into the mess ourselves! If you insist on anything even vaguely political: Queen Frederika was not exactly on top of anyone's Christmas Card list in the 1960s.
The thought that she could have willed it to CP Pavlos sounds reasonable except for one thing: The family had no money to speak of when they were exiled.

viv

 

[EmpressRouge]

While it has been worn by Sophie and Frederika, both Queen Consorts of Greece, the Prussian diamond tiara is not strictly a tiara reserved for the Queen of Greece, since we don't have evidence of Elisabeth of Romania ever wearing it, but we do have a evidence of Sophie's daughter Helen, Queen of Romania wearing it. Did Sophie leave it to Helen after her death? Because that would set a precedence of the tiara not being passed down/staying in the Greek royal family.

One guess as to why Marie-Chantal unveiled the tiara last week: it was the 80th anniversary of Queen Sophie's death. Whatever the reason M-C is wearing it, I do wish Anne-Marie would wear it sometime. The big tiara suits her big hair. If M-C continues to be the only who wears it, I hope she switches up her hairdo to something more suitable for the tiara (especially since she's a tiny little thing). Maybe something like her wedding hair which was so ill-suited for the smaller antique corsage tiara.

 

[branchg]

While it's certainly possible Sophie left the tiara to her daugher, Helen, either way it returned to King Paul because Frederika wore it all the time in the 1960s. Helen wasn't exactly rolling in money (her former husband, Carol II, retained his substantial fortune for himself in exile) and she may have sold it to her brother to raise needed cash.

The Greek Royal Family has never been wealthy, with the exception of Princess Marie Bonaparte who supported the entire family for many years with her fortune. Some married well, but for the most part they had little money.

 

[ldmemail]

I doubt it - we have moved on since then! 1864 is such a long time ago, and besides we got into the mess ourselves! If you insist on anything even vaguely political: Queen Frederika was not exactly on top of anyone's Christmas Card list in the 1960s.
The thought that she could have willed it to CP Pavlos sounds reasonable except for one thing: The family had no money to speak of when they were exiled.

viv

Thank you Viv - I am certainly glad the Danish nation has moved on! But I know from my history lessons that our own Queen Alexandra and the Tsarina Maria Feodorovna (Princess Dagmar) never forgave the Prussian side of the family - I wonder if it is just a family stigma which would stop Queen Anne Marie from wearing the tiara - the emeralds and rubies are acquisitions from Queen Olga - so a safe Russian route. The diamond tiara is from the Prussian side and much beloved by Queens Sophia & Frederika! Just a theory of mine... I certainly do not believe that it was sold to anyone and rescued by Crown Princess Pavlos' Millions!

 

[snowflower]

This tiara was necer worn by Elisabeth , because Sophie never let Elisabeth anywhere near her jewels ( Queen Marie's remarked that at least she gave to Sophie's daughter a tiara). The piece was worn by Helen but the ecidence so far indicate that she only wore it once , after her mother's death, at the gala for the wedding of the Kents I think , so it could be a loan. The next one who wore it AFAIK was Frederika, at the concert given right before her wedding to Paul , and it was her wedding tiara - in fact , it was the only Greek tiara she used until she became Queen, since the emeralds have been traditionally worn by the Queen only , and the ruby parure was at the possesion of Prince Nikolaos' family until Elena's death. My guess on the matter is that the tiara was left to George because it was Sophie's principal piece of jewelley and he lent it to Helena, and later gave it as a wedding gift to Frederika.

 

[Seraphine]

The tiara is far too big for her and her head. And just by the way: This is a Queensize Tiara and should just be worn by a Queen and not by a princess. Especially because Frederike wore it as her best tiara.

The dress was awful just like her makeup and both made her looking older than ever before.

Why didn't she wear the Khedive of Egypt tiara ? Anne Marie should have worn this tiara and Chantal the emerald one or the rubies ( with a beautifull dress) or her star tiara......

 

[gerry]

Thank you Viv - I am certainly glad the Danish nation has moved on! But I know from my history lessons that our own Queen Alexandra and the Tsarina Maria Feodorovna (Princess Dagmar) never forgave the Prussian side of the family - I wonder if it is just a family stigma which would stop Queen Anne Marie from wearing the tiara - the emeralds and rubies are acquisitions from Queen Olga - so a safe Russian route. The diamond tiara is from the Prussian side and much beloved by Queens Sophia & Frederika! Just a theory of mine... I certainly do not believe that it was sold to anyone and rescued by Crown Princess Pavlos' Millions!

I think history is the keyword here. This tiara may have been kept in the vaults because it was indeed Queen Frederica's and her history is not a pleasant one. If I recall, Queen Frederica caused much controversy regarding her, shall we delicately say, right-wing political views so that Queen Anne-Marie probably took a wise decision to leave this tiara off her head. Perhaps Princess Marie Chantal, being an American, is considered a safer head to display this formidable example of Prussian history!