Prince Christopher & his wives, Nancy Leeds & Francoise of Orleans

[grandduchessella]

Grab some of the French magazines of the time--they covered the wedding pretty well and had many such photos.

[Eric_Lowe]

Not too easy to get these days. Old Pont are good sources.

[grandduchessella]

Good things come to those who wait.    There were numerous illustrated magazines of the day--some might be more unknown then others depending on when they ceased publication. I just stalk internet sites waiting--I've gone through many of the English languages titles and am starting on the foreign ones.    There was one good Belgian magazine that published for a couple decades but it's very hard to find. Still, it was a treasure trove of photos of BeNeLux and French royals--not so much the British.

[YaBB_Jose]

Is that the future George VI next to the Duke and Duchess of Chartres ?

[Eric_Lowe]

I don't think it was Bertie, but the age does fit the time.

[KarlandZita]

Princess Françoise, 1930 :

[ashdean]

Princess Françoise, 1930 :

She wears the turqouise parure Christopher inherited from his mother...alas after their deaths during Prince Michaels minority it had be sold.

[Eric_Lowe]

Sad...I wonder why Prince Michael never included this piece in his books on royal jewelry ?

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Good question...
Those turquoises are an impressive collection of jewelry.  And, turquoise isn't that prominent in jewelry among royals;  so this parure would be a good one to include!!

Larry

[KarlandZita]

Sad...I wonder why Prince Michael never included this piece in his books on royal jewelry ?

Sorry eric, but if you refer to the book of Prince Michel of Greece on " the jewels of the Tsars", you're wrong because it does mention the piece with turquoise and diamonds from his mother, clasping a photo of Francoise wearing it. T his is exactly in the last chapter "after 1917" and deals with what have become the most jewels of the Romanovs. On the parure of turquoise described on page 162, he writes "These jewels are an exact reproduction of a necklace of stones that had belonged to the same Russian Imperial treasure, and shown in the catalog Fersman. An exact replica had been made for Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, Queen of Greece, who bequeathed to her son Christopher. "

[Eric_Lowe]

No an earlier book "Crown Jewels of Europe", he had the Orleans saphhire parure but little on the Greek ones.

[ashdean]

Sad...I wonder why Prince Michael never included this piece in his books on royal jewelry ?

Sorry eric, but if you refer to the book of Prince Michel of Greece on " the jewels of the Tsars", you're wrong because it does mention the piece with turquoise and diamonds from his mother, clasping a photo of Francoise wearing it. T his is exactly in the last chapter "after 1917" and deals with what have become the most jewels of the Romanovs. On the parure of turquoise described on page 162, he writes "These jewels are an exact reproduction of a necklace of stones that had belonged to the same Russian Imperial treasure, and shown in the catalog Fersman. An exact replica had been made for Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, Queen of Greece, who bequeathed to her son Christopher. "

THANKYOU  Karlandzita

[ashdean]

Hi,

Good question...
Those turquoises are an impressive collection of jewelry.  And, turquoise isn't that prominent in jewelry among royals;  so this parure would be a good one to include!!

Larry

Actually in the late Victorian period turquoise became very popular amongst royalty.Queen Victoria had much earlier pestered the English ambassador's wife in St Petersburg to find her fine stones to have a parure created in London and the noble families of Londonderry,Craven,Ancaster and Buccleuch amongst others had items in their jewel caskets.While May of Teck received a tiara and complete set from her parents in 1893 on her marriage.. On the continent the Crown Princess Stephanie of Austria and her sister in law Marie Valerie wore splendid parures with tiaras.The famous Daisy Princess of Pless's blonde good looks were enhanced by the tiara and complete suite given her as a wedding present by her husband...and Faberge created an especially lovely tiara and ornaments for the new Empress Alexandra in 1894...while at the time of her wedding in 1908the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the younger wore the turquoise tiara nd suite inherited from her mother in 1891.

[Eric_Lowe]

Turquoise is much of a Summer colour and looked great in that season. Was it a cheap stone is it is today ?

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Ashdean,

Thanks for the splendid update on turquoises and royalty.
I guess I've never seen that many photos of turquoise jewelry worn by the royal ladies.

I always relate turquoise with Merle Oberon, especially in Mexico, when she lived there.
And Lana Turner wore turquoise and diamonds in one of her movies.

Larry