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TIARA ALERT: Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra, wore Queen Amelie's Diamond Tiara for her wedding to Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins at the Basilica of Our Lady and Saint Anthony within the Palace of Mafra outside of Lisbon, Portugal on 7 October 2023.
“The Portuguese “royal wedding” was yesterday and everybody was saying how ironic it was for the president to give a speech about the 113th anniversary of the implementation of the Republic after many centuries of monarchies and then two days later attending the “royal wedding” lmao. Like he represents the main element of the new regime and the highest position and there is also the fact that this so called royal family was proved to not be legitime.” - Submitted by Anonymous
This April marks the 50th anniversary of the princely family of Monaco's visit to Portugal in 1964 (from April 10-22).
It was April 1964 when the princess and her husband brought their children, Princess Grace's mother - Mrs John B Kelly (Margaret)- and a friend couple for a family vacation.
For more than 10 days they made the Hotel Ritz, in Lisbon, their headquarters, visiting various tourist attractions in the capital and beyond. The itinerary took them to Fátima, Nazaré, Alentejo, Cascais and Sintra. Count Bobone, consul general of Monaco at the time, was the organizer, host and travelling companion. He kept a photographic archive of this historic trip that was shared with the Observador and allows us to travel back in time on the ride of the princes to see key moments from this family visit.
The princess arrived in Lisbon on April 10th with her children and mother. The next day her husband came on board his new yacht, the Albecaro II. The vessel owes its name to a combination of the names of the sovereign's children and had just been built in the Netherlands. According to Grace herself, she told the press, that these holidays had already been planned the previous year, but it was not possible to make them happen. They then enjoyed the spring of April. They visited museums, institutions and friends who offered meals in their honour.
Despite this being a personal trip, the President of the time, Américo Thomaz, offered a lunch at the Queluz Palace and government figures ensured that the princes lacked nothing. The family and their entourage would leave on April 22 aboard the yacht for a cruise in the Mediterranean towards home but with the next stop planned in the Balearic Islands.
Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal with her brother, Prince Afonso, and fiance, Duarte Martins, during the wedding day of Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie Alexandra of Bavaria.
A segment on Queen Amelie’s Diamond Tiara from TVI’s interview with Infanta Maria Francisca.
The tiara was a wedding gift from Queen Amelie’s father-in-law, King Luís, in 1886. They show a picture of it with the other wedding gifts from the Portuguese royal family all made by the crown jewelers, Leitão & Irmão. On the right is a matching necklace from her mother-in-law, Queen Maria Pia, and on the left is a sapphire and diamond necklace from her husband, the future King Carlos.
I’ve never seen a picture of Queen Amelie wearing the matching necklace and it was most likely dismantled to create her Diamond Choker Necklace that is still with the former Portuguese royal family. She was photographed on at least one occasion wearing the sapphire necklace but I’m not sure what happened to it.
Any Portuguese speakers, does the jewelry expert, Eduardo Alves Marques, give any more information or say anything interesting?