Happy Birthday to Princess Marie zu Wied, the Dowager Hereditary Duchess of Württemberg, who turns 50 today! The Wied Princess who is widow of the Heir to the illustrious Royal Family and the mother of the current Duke of Württemberg, Duchess Marie has control of the massive Württemberg Jewellery Collection, though her primary jewel for decades has been this Emerald Pendant!
Duchess Marie of Württemberg’s Emerald Pendant | Württemberg Diamond Tiara | Württemberg Royal Tiaras | Jewels at Auction
But first, lets learn about Duchess Marie! The daughter of Prince Ulrich zu Wied and Ilke Fischer, Princess Marie is a great-great grandfather of King William II of Württemberg, the last King of Württemberg, though her great-grandmother, ‘fat’ Princess Pauline. In 1993, Princess Marie married Hereditary Duke Friedrich of Württemberg, son of the Duke of Württemberg and Princess Diane of Orléans, and the couple had three children; Duke Wilhelm, Duchess Marie, and Duchess Sophie, residing at Schloss Friedrichshafen until the Hereditary Duke’s tragic death in 2018. In 2022, their son became the Duke of Württemberg and since then, Duchess Marie has been told to leave Schloss Friedrichshafen, moving into a smaller house and auctioning several Wied Heirlooms. We wish HRH a very Happy Day and Many Happy Returns!
A striking cabochon emerald ringed by diamonds, suspended from a Diamond Rivière, the provenance of this jewel is unknown but it may be either a Wied or Württemberg Heirloom, or could have been acquired specially for Princess Marie at the time of her marriage.
The first appearance of the Emerald Pendant came in 1993, when it was worn by Princess Marie of Wied with the Württemberg Diamond Tiara for the Ball hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Württemberg at Schloss Altshausen on the eve of her Wedding to Hereditary Duke Friedrich of Württemberg in 1993.
Over a decade later, following an appearance at the Wedding of Duchess Fleur of Württemberg and Count Moritz von Goëss in 2003, Duchess Marie wore the Emerald Pendant for the Wedding Ball of Duchess Elisabeth in Bayern and Daniel Terberger, at Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich.
Just a few months after being tragically widowed in 2018, Duchess Marie wore her Diamond Rivière and Emerald Pendant with a Diamond Tiara for the Wedding Ball of Duchess Sophie of Württemberg and Count Maximilien d’Andigné at Schloss Tegernsee.
Earlier this year, Duchess Marie wore her Emerald Pendant with a pair of coordinating Earrings for the Ball held at Schloss Altshausen following the Wedding of her daughter, Duchess Amelie, to Baron Franz-Ferdinand von Feilitzsch. Since it escaped Auction a few months ago, there is no doubt we will continue to see this spectacular Jewel worn by Duchess Marie for years to come!
Duchess Marie of Württemberg’s Emerald Pendant | Württemberg Diamond Tiara | Württemberg Royal Tiaras | Jewels at Auction
