What's Up Wednesday (Emperor Christian-Victor Tours Scotney and Britania and Visits Nobles)

His Majesty King Christian-Victor of the Scots and Britons, as the Emperor is known in his home countries, has made a quick tour of the Britanian Isles with his wife Queen Odeliah. The tour is to publicly present himself to his people in this time building up to the coronation in July. As part of the tour that had him visit public parks, museums and government building he also made formal stop overs at three of the premiere Noble Peers of the Realm. 

The King and Queen used a small chartered jet to fly to their first stop, the Britanian city of York where they were scheduled for a walkabout outside the City Hall before sitting down to a lunch with the Mayor of York. They were greeted by an excited crowd which had gathered for hours before the Royal arrival.

The positively spectacular Royal couple was said to enjoy the walkabout tremendously taking almost half an hour to greet and chat to ecstatic onlookers. 

The Queen-Empress stole the limelight but not selfishly by adding shine and glamour to the more reserved King-Emperor. who seemed to prefer the cameras favouring his wife.

From York the Royal couple drove the short distance by car over the border to Glen Coe Castle in Scotney. The ancestral home of the Earl's Dysart was to put them up for their first evening of the tour as the guests of the Duke and Duchess of Argyle. 

The Duke and Duchess of Argyle were the highest ranking Nobles in Scotney to host the Royal Couple and prepared a banquet in their honour of their monarch. The Duchess of Argyle, also Countess Dysart, was more than thrilled to entertain the King and Queen in her Castle. 

Queen Odelia looked radiant in a purple evening gown and the historic amethysts bought a couple of weeks ago at auction. 

The Duke and Duchess looked their stylish selves as usual.

The Duchess wore the Dysart Amethysts piared with a snakeskin metallic print dress.

The historic Amethyst Parure is a new addition to the Imperial Jewellery Collection and had its first outing.

After a tour of some places of agricultural interst on the Scotney border the King and Queen flew back down to Britania  and Castle Sherwood, the Family Seat of the Dukes of Marlboro.

The Duke and Duchess of Marlboro were the highest ranking Britanian Nobles to receive the Royal couple and also hosted a banquet in their Majesties' honour. The Marlboros are the biggest sheep farmers in the country and as such merited an Imperial visit aside from the Noble ties.

The Queen chose a red metallic dresspaired with diamonds and pink pearls.

The Duchess wore the Marlboro Family Tiara and was said to truly enjoy hosting the Imperial couple.

There were times when the Queen-Empress had to go at the glamour alone while her husband attended to the more "boring" engagements. Here she is seen one evening by herself attending the opening night of a theater production in the Scotney Capital while the King-Emperor was at a meeting discussing tourism in the extreme north of Scotney.

The tour was a great opportunity for Queen Odeliah to really showcase some of the Imperial jewellery and that she did. Here we see her wearing the rubies she inherited from Empress Crystobel on their first public outing.

Finally another dinner with the Marchioness of Londonderry on the way back to the Aldarian Palace. The Empress had more opportunities to wear a tiara in this week than she normally gets over a 6 month period. As such she gave her new amethysts a second outing. Traveling with so much historic jewellery is a logistic and security nightmare so she had to limit her options slightly.

The Marchioness looked radiant in a turquoise dress and the Londonderry Tiara.

Queen Odeliah added some variety by wearing the necklace along with the rest of the parure.

The Marchioness was quoted to be very honoured by the Royal visit and hopes that the restoration of the monarchy would bring prosperity to all the people of the Scot-Britanian Isles.

As we move closer to the coronation the atmosphere is gradually building up to the greatest excitement felt in decades.

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (Generational Tiaras)

One of the "functions" of jewellery, if not its primary function,  is to serve in the sphere of sentimentality. Often, not just in Royal Families, jewels travel across generations as family heirlooms that remind the wearer of loved ones that might even have passed on.This is an even greater reality when jewellery pieces are of great financial value and even more so when historic value is added to boot. It is the historic factor that add to the significance of Royal jewels. These jewels, made to honour great historic events and influential people, have come down the various Royal family lines to still sparkle in our modern era. In todays post we will not discuss the great Crown Jewel Collections but rather the more personal jewellery that have been inherited for generations, alluding to bygone eras and people.

The first famous jewel collection in our discussion is the Queen Crystobel I Wedding Gift Diamond Parure or more accurately, the Ladies of Scotney Diamond Parure. The confusion with the name stems from the fact that this parure was indeed the young Queen Crystobel I's Wedding Gift but it is more appropriate to honour the giver than the receiver or the event. Thus seeing as all the aristocratic ladies of the Kingdom of Scotney arranged for the gift to be created and presented to the Queen, it is officially named the Ladies of Scotney Parure. 

The gift of this grand set of jewellery, made from indigenous Scotney Pearls and rare Indiana Diamonds was a grand gesture from the Scotney Nobility. The Duchess of Argyle, Countess Dysart and Baroness Ferguson headed up the committee of prominent Ladies who raised the capital for purchasing the Parure as a gift to be presented as a symbolic blessing from the women of  " the entire country" as it were.

Unfortunately we have no photographic documentation of Queen Crystobel I wearing the parure except for this single photo from 1983. She is seen wearing only the tiara from the set. The parure was inherited by her daughter Quenn Crystobel II of Scotney, who became Empress Crystobel of the United Empire of Scot-Britania. 

The parure survived the revolution and it is still owned by the Imperial descendants of Empress Crystobel. In this photo from 2011 we see her wearing the full parure with the tiara. This set of historic jewellery may soon to be seen on the head of Princess Odeliah, daughter in law of Empress Crystobel. 

It is obvious that there is a vast collection of jewellery in the Imperial collection that has been passed down from former generations but only some are either, extremely historic or exceptionally rare by virtue of the size of the stones. One such piece is the can be seen in the photo above worn by Empress Crystobel. The Imperial Sapphire Tiara was originally made in Ruskiana as a gift from the Tzar of Ruskiana to the visiting King and Queen of Britania in 1896. That year the Imperial Family of Ruskiana celebrated it Bicentenary and hosted the greatest State Ball the world had ever seen. As part of the display of Ruskian wealth the Tzar decided to bestow spectacular Tiaras, as gifts showcasing Ruskian craftsmanship, upon all the wives of the visiting monarchs. The tiara has been passed down the Britanian line ever since. Currently it is still owned by the Crown Prince Imperial. 

Here we see princess Odeliah wearing the historic tiara in 2011. 

The Hispanian Royal Jewellery Collection also several inherited pieces that are quite old. However one parure has been very well documented as its been worn by many generations. 

 The Hispanian Ruby Parure of Queen Esperanza is very beautiful, impressive yet not over the top. It did not start off as a complete parure nor as a set inclusive of rubies. The story begins with a diamond tiara owned by Queen Esperanza which is also where the parure gets its name from. The original tiara can be seen without the rubies in the photo above taken in the 1930's.

The original tiara was a gift from the noble women of Hispania, who clubbed together to present a worthy present to their new Queen upon her marriage to King Carlos X, the great grandfather of the current Queen. The tiara was set with diamonds only in those early days however, Queen Esperanza ended up with what she must have thought to be too many diamond tiaras and on her ruby anniversary decided to have them swapped for rubies. Before that even took place she had acquired through inheritance a demi-parure of rubies that just asked for a tiara to be added, so everything joined together to form the spectacular set that we can enjoy today.

The present Queen of Hispania's mother, the Dowager Princess of Cataljone wore the rubies for her last official portrait in 2010.

Queen Maria has often worn the set and also lent it to her sister on occasions where she represented the Hispanian Monarchy.  

The Princess of Cataljone, as heir to the Hispanian throne has also officially worn the set but has added a modern single strand necklace in preference over the bulky historic one. 

The Grand Principality of Wallachia boasts very old historic jewels but few with a personal touch. One parure of diamonds carries the sentimental inheritance aspect however albeit not the oldest of sets. 

Princess Xenia's mother, seen in the photo above, is the younger sister of the Duke of Swann's father. As a Princess by birth she left her country of origin with a dowry of Swanobian ancestral jewels. The Swann Dowry Diamond Parure as it has now become known is one of the most dazzling in the Wallachian collection. It consists of a Fringe Tiara, a matching Fringe Necklace and Earrings in the shape of a cross. The set was made for Princess Suzanna's mother on her 25th wedding anniversary and was then left with Princess Suzanna to become a part of the Wallachian Jewellery Collection.

Princess Xenia, the current ruler of Wallachia often wears her mother's Swanobian Dowry Diamond Parure.

The Imperial Jewels of Ruskiana are imbued with centuries of history. However very little of the vast Imperial Collection remains today. Yet, the current pretender to the Ruskian throne did gain a part of her family's history by an almost miraculous turn of events. 

In this photo taken in 1949, Her Imperial Majesty Tzarina Feodorovna, wife of Tzar Alexander III wears the more religious and traditional uncut ruby beads and iconic cross from the Imperial Ruby Parure along with the tiara. She is the long desceased great great grandmother of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, the current pretender to the Ruskian throne. Many pieces of family jewels survived by escaping with members of the extended Imperial family. However the Imperial Ruby Parure was thought to have been lost to history as no records of it exists in the archived catalogue of the Bolshevik Government who annexed the Imperial jewels after the revolution. The jewels were in fact smuggled out of Ruskiana by an ancestor of the current Duke of Swann and hidden in a Hanoverian warehouse. There they were forgotten, only to be discovered in a sealed chest kept in the back of an old car that was proven by old documents to be the property of the Duke of Swann. In reclaiming his grandfather's car in 2013 did it reveal the lost Ruskian treasure that was then handed over to the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. 

 Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna wears the more fashionable necklace, earrings and brooch along with the tiara. 

The many Noble Families in Europa also have sentimental ancestral jewels with historic provenance. 

This Platinum, Diamond and Aquamarine Parure belonged to the Dukes of Marlboro. 

The Marlboro Aquamarines have come down the inherited line to Sir Michael Jennings, the brother of the current Duke of Marlboro, who married Princess Isabella of Hispania. She is now the proud wearer of her husband's ancestral jewels. 

The Earl of Cartwright has also passed another Aquamarine Parure that belonged to his great grandmother, was worn by his mother as can be seen above, on to his new wife. 

In this photo the new Countess Cartwright wears her husband's Family Aquamarines on her wedding day. 

There are much more such stories to be told than one can imagine as the total amount of jewellery pieces and their individual histories, no one has dared to even attempt to count. We hoped you enjoyed the few recounted her. 

What's Up Wednesday (Marlboro D'Bacquemme Wedding)

Today we report on yet another D'Bacquemme wedding following close on the heels of the Earl Cartwright's happy day less than a month ago. On the 1st of September 2013, the sister of the Marquis D'Bacquemme, Madame Francine, was wed to His Grace the Duke of Marlboro. The wedding has been on the cards for a while as the couple has been officially "dating" for over a year.

After the official year long courtship, having appeared at many public functions together, the big day finally came as autumn announced its arrival in Europa. The event was held at the D'Bacquemme family residence, Chateaux Dumont in Franconia. As with the previous D'Bacquemme wedding held in August, the Marquis again refused to be photographed for publicity photos.

After the ceremony, which is rarely photographed in the case of Royal and Noble weddings, the guests gathered for their photos before the private celebrations began. Her we see the new Duchess and her husband, Duke Winston, the 12th Duke of Marlboro.

Wearing the Marlboro Family Tiara has become a nuptial tradition for Marlboro brides and here we see Her Grace photographed in it coupled with her plain yet impressively voluminous dress.

The full gathering of family can be seen here with the notable absence of The Marquis D'Bacquemme and the Earl Cartwright (husband of the former Mairi D'Bacquemme, niece of the bride). The Earl Cartwright couldn't attend due to  business obligations. From the left; The Countess Cartwright, The Dowager Marquise D'Bacquemme, the bridal couple, The Duke and Duchess of Toledo (brother and sister in law of the groom)

Her Grace the Duchess of Marlboro poses for this shot of her and her beautiful dress. 

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (The Marlboro Collection)

The Noble Family of Jennings have held the title of Dukes of Marlboro for several hundred years. As such they have accumulated wealth, prestige and a great collection of historic furniture, art and jewellery. They also own a castle and some other properties and businesses. They were however greatly affected by the 96 revolution but at least the family jewels remained in tact and resides with the current Duke in the Republic of Canadium. Today we will discuss the traditional collection and see where it finds itself at present.

The 9th Dowager of Marlboro, Lady Renalda Jennings wears the Marlboro Tiara to the wedding of Queen Crystobel of Scotney and the Crown Prince of  Britania.

A detailed photo of the ancestral tiara of the Marlboro family. It is reported to have been made in the late 1800's for the then Duchess to be as a betrothal gift. Many families will sometimes alter older jewels in order to modernise the design, this one stayed in tact and survived the revolution. 

The current Duke of Marlboro accompanies his sister, Lady Loelia Jennings, who wears the tiara to the gathering in 2011 where the official Royal and Noble Family photo was taken. The Marlboro collection also includes several earrings and necklaces set with diamonds like that in the photo.

Pink Topaz is also sometimes called Imperial Topaz. This pink tiara is called the Renalda Tiara and was made for the 9th Duchess as a 10th wedding anniversary. Lady Loelia wears matching earrings which is part of a demi-parure that includes a necklace. The demi-parure was acquired in the 1980's to compliment the tiara.

This photo shows the detail of the tiara.

Another part of the Marlboro collection has been inherited by the current Duke's brother. Lord Michael Jennings married the Infanta Isabella of Hispania. Upon marriage he was created the Duke of Toledo and his name was changed to the Hispanic Miguel. His marriage entitled him to some of the Marlboro Family jewels for his new wife.

The Marlboro Platinum and Aquamarine Parure. This rather modern set of jewellery was made for the 10th Duke's wife in the 1980's especially for the wedding of the Queen of Scotney and the Crown Prince of Britania.

The elegant beauty of the Aquamarine Parure can be appreciated in this archive photo.

Infanta Isabella, seen in pink in the centre, wears the Aquamarines to the 2010 Christmas Ball.

Depending on the Family tradition, the Aquamarines might return to the Marlboros upon the death of Infanta Isabella or they may remain as an inheritance for her descendants. We will have to wait and see and in the mean time enjoy whenever these amazing jewels are worn. Look out for them at the next major event.