Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World
The Swedish royal family owns a spectacular collection of royal jewelry that dates back centuries. But one of the tiaras they possess, the Braganza Tiara, is particularly special and magnificent—and it has unexpected roots in South America.
If there were a contest for “biggest tiara in Europe,” I’d be hard pressed to think of another sparkler that could best this one. The Empire Tiara owned by the grand ducal family of Luxembourg is a massive diamond fortress of a jewel. At more than four inches tall, it’s a giant of the tiara world. Because of its size, the all-diamond tiara has plenty of room for the incorporation of numerous motifs, including geometric, anthemion, and scroll designs.
1892: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany’s wife, Augusta Viktoria (known as “Dona”), gives birth to the couple’s seventh and final child: Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia. The little girl is the couple’s only daughter. Her parents are on the throne of Germany, and her great-grandmother and namesake–Queen Victoria–rules the competing British Empire.