Hohenzollern Jewels

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Prince Albert did design jewelry for his wife and daughter Alice.

[grandduchessella]

HK--no, I don't think this is one designed by Wilhelm. He designed at least 2--both with floral motifs. On an old thread we discussed some tiaras:

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=533.30

right. The floral motifs appear, to me, to be non traditional and at first site, a bit amateurish. However, upon closer inspection, they are quite lovely. what makes them most appealing is that they were designed by Wilhelm.

did any other monarch of the era design his wife's jewelry? Albert?

Albert is one of the few that I can think of. Others have been involved in gifts for their wives but I don't know enough about royal jewelry as a whole to know how far they actually went in designing pieces. I still don't particularly care for Wilhelm's pieces. I think they weren't particularly suited to Dona's apparent tastes or what flattered her. However, as devoted as she was I'm sure anything Wilhelm designed would've gone over well with her!

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Bismark called her "the cow from Holstein". Of course she would submit to his wishes, especially it was done for her.

[HerrKaiser]

Right, Eric, you've made that point about a thousand times. Give it a rest, please. Dona was hardly a cow, appeared as elegant and regal as any of her contemporaries, and had as much or more public adoration as any of her contemporaries. Bismarck's classless and tasteless side comments are not the last word of historical fact.

That said, why wouldn't Dona graciously accept and wear jewelry designed by her husband? Which consort rebuffed and stood in defiance of her husband's wishes the way you appear to have expected Dona to do? Both Alexandra's certainly did not; Mary did not; nor Minnie. Vicky probably would have, but had no cause.

[Marc]

Yes. Bismark called her "the cow from Holstein". Of course she would submit to his wishes, especially it was done for her.

I think I have read somewhere that Bismarck said before Wlhelm's marriage that he needs a "cow from Holstein",maybe due to Schleswig-Holstein question...I never read that he called Augusta in particular like that...

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Yes, I agree with HerrKaiser that the Empress deserves some respect from us.
She always looks quite regal and dignified;  and I think she is attractive.  Unfortunately, she developed greay or white hair earlier than normal and looked older than her years;  and would appear larger than the norm, I guess, but never looked like "a cow"...

Some respect needs to be observed for her - The Empress of Germany...

Larry

[grandduchessella]

That said, why wouldn't Dona graciously accept and wear jewelry designed by her husband? Which consort rebuffed and stood in defiance of her husband's wishes the way you appear to have expected Dona to do? Both Alexandra's certainly did not; Mary did not; nor Minnie. Vicky probably would have, but had no cause.

I would disagree about Vicky--she was as besotted with her husband as any royal wife was. I would have to think she would've loved something designed by Fritz!

Dona's bearing is part of why I don't think Wilhelm's designs suited her. She did have a solidity of figure, a regal bearing and that large hairdo. I think she could've handled more substantial designs ala the Poltimore tiara.

[Eric_Lowe]

The fact is that Dona was submissive to the wishes of Wilhelm period. Even if the tiara was made of straw, Dona would still wear it gratefully. It would be unthinkable if she would have exclaimed that it was ugly and it did not suit her. In fact Vicky critizied Dona that her cow-like devotion to Wilhelm that made her son even more harder to bear.

[HerrKaiser]

That said, why wouldn't Dona graciously accept and wear jewelry designed by her husband? Which consort rebuffed and stood in defiance of her husband's wishes the way you appear to have expected Dona to do? Both Alexandra's certainly did not; Mary did not; nor Minnie. Vicky probably would have, but had no cause.

I would disagree about Vicky--she was as besotted with her husband as any royal wife was. I would have to think she would've loved something designed by Fritz!

Yes, I think Vicky would have loved Fritz-designed pieces.

I meant that she, of all the royal wives, may have had will or determination to not "submit to (her husband's) wishes" as Eric complains of Dona, but of course vicky had never any cause to reject Fritz...only wish for more of his time and ultimately his life.

[grandduchessella]

So true, HK. I could see Vicky standing over Fritz critiquing with her artist's eye though. ; )

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Vicky chose her things with an artistic eye. Some of her early jewels were of Gothic design of the period.

[Alejandro Spain]

Do you know if these two tiaras are the same? Both by Fabergé...

[Eric_Lowe]

Don't think they are the same, but they looked very similar in style though.

[grandduchessella]

One is the Meander Tiara (which has a Greek key design on the top and bottom) the other is her Faberge Tiara. The former was presented to Cecile on her wedding day by Crown Prince Wilhelm and was worn by Grand Duchess Kira at her wedding.The Faberge was received as a wedding gift from her russian relatives, thus the kokoshnik design. She wrote in her last will about a diamond diadem with 15 stones of 13,9 carat and about 2300 smaller brilliants. That could be this one. Her daughter Cecile wore it at her wedding.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Cecilie did wore that tiara on her wedding day.