Remember to pay attention
From May 9, 1946 to June 12, 1946, in just 35 days, the abolition of the monarchy brought her to the end of the 226-year reign by an angry populace: Marie José Charlotte Sophie, the last queen of Italy.
Marie-José (left) Image source: Baidu Encyclopedia Inspector of the Red Cross (right) Image source: Sina Highlights
From princess to queen to exiled "traitor", from the International Red Cross to humanitarian activities, she is also a jewelry lover in addition to her ill-fated role. Thanks to her good family, she has treasured a variety of priceless jewelry.
In this article, Gem Jun takes you from the life of Queen Mary José to explore the jewels that have witnessed her legendary life
01 Political marriage, is pinned on high hopes 01
1-1 Dowry (Bandeau Gold Pearl Crown)
In 1924, Marie José attended her first court ball. In order to further facilitate the relationship between the princess and the crown prince, the Belgian royal family specially modified a pearl and diamond crown from the adopted daughter of Napoleon I, Grand Duchess of Baden in France, which later became the dowry of Marie José. Sure enough, Umberto's relationship with Marijosé at the ball came to fruition.
Bandeau Gold Pearl Crown Custom Diamond Pearl Earrings Image source: Pile Sugar
Originally created in Paris in 1830, the Bandeau gold pearl crown was transformed into a headband tied around her forehead, and later Mary customized a pair of pearl and diamond gold earrings to match. Crowns of European royal families rarely see crowns with pearls as the main gemstone, and most crowns have fewer pearls than diamonds. The crown is made of gold as a whole, relying on pearls to outline triangles and scalloped patterns, embellished with small diamonds, the appearance is gorgeous, the overall shape is noble and elegant, symbolizing purity and blessing.
1-2 Wedding Gift (Crown of Queen Josephine)
In 1930, at the age of 24, Marie married Crown Prince Umberto II of Italy, and their wedding was a major European event that year. As the most favored youngest daughter in the family, the dowry prepared by the Belgian royal family was not excessive. The Queen Josephine Crown is Queen Marie José's most famous crown and one of her wedding gifts.
Image source: Sohu, The Paper
The Empress Josephine Crown was crafted in 1895 by Russian craftsman Faberge over a year, worth more than 9 million yuan. The crown of light is set with hundreds of diamonds. It is called the Queen Josephine's Crown because the huge drop-shaped diamond on it was a gift from Tsar Alexander I to Empress Josephine of the French Empire.
02
Marriage, the unfortunate beginning of a lifetime
02
This fantastic and gorgeous wedding dealt Mary a heavy blow. Ignoring custom, Umberto cut off her sleeves on the spot because of the unsatisfactory wedding dress, Marie had to wear two white gloves to cover it, and Umberto disappeared on the night of her wedding. As soon as the situation became tense and Mary and his wife were forbidden to appear in public, Mary became a Red Cross inspector to help the people. When World War II began, Mary personally met with Hitler to avoid the country's involvement in the war, but unfortunately returned to no avail. In order to avoid the loss of royal jewels, Umberto bought the crown back from his cousins and left it to their youngest daughter, Maria Gabrira.
Crown of Pearl Image Credit: First Gold Network Musy Jewelry Archive Portrait Image Credit: Licorne Unique
This crown of pearls was made in the second half of the 19th century and was first commissioned by Duke Augusta by the Italian court jeweller Musy. The crown base is set with diamonds and a cluster pattern with a row of pearls, which has a distinctly classical style. The detachable structure is hidden underneath and can be freely transformed into a necklace to wear. The whole piece is set with 11 natural seawater baroque pearls in the shape of teardrops, and the Musy logo is engraved on the back of the base. According to a portrait preserved in the Musy Jewelry Archive, the crown can be additionally decorated with pearls at the bottom.
03
Exiled, 55 years to live for himself
03
In 1946, defeated in World War II, Umberto II succeeded him as king, and Marie José became queen. Just 35 days later, the abolition of the monarchy led Queen Mary and her husband to abdicate and be exiled overseas. Queen Marie José went into exile with her husband in Portugal, where she continued to run a widown marriage, after which she left her husband and settled in an 18th-century country house on the outskirts of Geneva, Switzerland.
Queen Margarita Diamond Garland Crown Image Credit: Pile Sugar - Scorpion
The Queen Margarita Diamond Garland Crown was created by Mellerio in 1867 and was most commonly worn by Mary during her exile at public events. The sparkle of diamonds may not replace the care of her lover, but it has given her some spiritual comfort, and she has devoted the rest of her life to the construction and nurturing of national culture and art.
Queen Marie José died in 2001 at the age of 95, and her jewelry bears witness to her life. Her death caused a great shock in Italy, and many people spontaneously mourned and prayed for the queen who had dedicated herself to Italy. At this point, the life of the last queen of Italy came to an end.
Late Queen Mary José (left) film "Maria Josè, l'ultima regina" stills (right) Image source: NetEase Subscription
The story of Queen Marie José was made into the movie "Maria Josè, l'ultima regina", if you are interested, Gem-kun recommends everyone to watch it~
The pictures in this article are collected on the Internet (source noted)
If there is any infringement, please contact to delete, thanks