Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who was born on this day in 1887! Queen Ena had a splendid jewellery collection, pilled with family heirlooms and contemporary acquisitions and commissions. Many of her jewels still remain with the Spanish Royal Family and are now worn by Queen Sofia and Queen Letizia but today we are featuring her Cartier Stomacher!
Fleur-de-Lys Tiara | Chaumet Tiara | Mellerio Shell Tiara | Cartier Pearl Tiara | Turquoise Tiara | Cartier Diamond Bandeau | Empress Eugenie’s Emeralds | Aquamarine Parure | Diamond Rivière | Joyas de Pasar | Diamond Earrings | Diamond Bracelets | Cartier Stomacher | Joyas de Pasar Pearl Necklace | Spanish Royal Tiaras
In the early 1920s, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain ordered this splendid Art Deco Stomacher from Cartier, made of diamonds mounted in platinum in a distinctive hexagonal motif with surrounding scrolls on each side, as well as a long detachable diamond pendant.
Queen Victoria Eugenie notably wore her Cartier Diamond Stomacher with her Cartier Diamond Bandeau and Diamond Rivières at a few Openings of Parliament, and with her Aquamarine Tiara and Parure for a series of Official Portraits.
Queen Victoria Eugenie took the Cartier Diamond Stomacher with her into exile, when it was worn with her Chaumet Tiara and with her Fleur-de-Lys Tiara for several Official Portraits.
In 1947, Queen Victoria Eugenie wore the Cartier Diamond Stomacher with her Fleur-de-Lys Tiara for the Wedding Ball of Prince Phillip of Greece to Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth in 1947, and also wore the Diamond Stomacher with her Cartier Emerald Tiara and Empress Eugenie’s Emeralds.
Unlike many other jewels which were passed to her children or sold, Queen Victoria Eugenie retained the Cartier Diamond Stomacher through the years of exile until the end of her life, wearing it for Princess Sandra Torlonia’s 18th Birthday Gala in 1954 and a couple of other gala events. After Queen Victoria Eugenie’s death in 1969, only the ‘Joyas de Pasar’ went to her third son and heir, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona while all of her remaining jewels were willed to her two daughters, Infanta Beatriz, Princess of Civitella-Cesi and Infanta María Cristina.
However, the Cartier Diamond Stomacher, and a Diamond Rivière, eventually came into the possession of her second son, Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, and was worn by his wife, Charlotte Tiedemann, Duchess of Segovia and Anjou, in an official portrait in the early 1970s.
After the Duke’s death in 1975, the Duchess faced financial difficulties and auctionedQueen Victoria Eugenie’s Cartier Stomacher at Christie’s in Geneva in 1977. The current location of the Stomacher, if it remains intact, is unknown.
Fleur-de-Lys Tiara | Chaumet Tiara | Mellerio Shell Tiara | Cartier Pearl Tiara | Turquoise Tiara | Cartier Diamond Bandeau | Empress Eugenie’s Emeralds | Aquamarine Parure | Diamond Rivière | Joyas de Pasar | Diamond Earrings | Diamond Bracelets | Cartier Stomacher | Joyas de Pasar Pearl Necklace | Spanish Royal Tiaras
