The pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Romagna is the beautiful and stylish Princess Donatella, Duchess Di Giorgio. Growing up in complete ignorance of her Royal heritage it must have come as a shock to her when, with the weight of the title of Princess on her mind, her eyes fell on the inheritance left to her in a Switzer Bank safety deposit box. The current collection of historic jewels however is vastly diminished from the days of the Romagna Kingdom before the Great War. What is left is essentially the private jewels that belonged to Princess Donatella's grandmaother.
For this official portrait taken in 2012 the Duchess Di Giorgio opted to combine elements of the two major sets of jewellery in the DiGiorgio Royal Collection. This was essentially her first public appearance and for that purpose she wanted to reflect, not just her own style and individuality but more so the historic roots of her and her Royal heritage.
The Di Giorgio Diamond Parure may be considered as the central feature of the collection of jewels thus far worn by the Princess. The Parure is of exceptional quality and value and fit for a queen as it was designed for one. Originally worn by Princess Donatella's great grandmother, it may be considered a type of Queen Consort's Crown due to its imposing presence especially combined with the large necklace and the rest of the set.
The Queen Elena Imperial Topaz Demi Parure is set with Topazes of a rich pink hue referred to as Imperial Topaz. The set was made as a wedding gift for Princess Donatella's grandmother, the last Queen of Romagna. It consists of a brooch, earrings, an A-symmetric necklace and a strand of pearls.
The Corvi Cameo Tiara was originally a full parure of which now only the tiara remains after the rest was lost during the Great War. The Cameos originally belonged to the Counts Corvi who in the early 1800's married off one of their daughters into the Royal Family of Romagna.
Today the Corvi Tiara has been worn with pride due to its strong cultural links to Romagna in this pseudo State Portrait taken of Princess Donatella last year. It was paired with parts of the Diamond Parure.
The Corvi Tiara and the pearls strand from Queen Elena's Topaz collection also made their appearance at the wedding of Princess Marie-Elizabeth where Princess Donatella acted as bride's maid.
Many of the Romagna Royal jewels have been lost and may never be recovered but one more small tiara of exceptional design is left in the collection. Princess Donatella wore it for the first time a few weeks ago in Perlistan as can be seen above. the tiara is so delicate that a close-up view is required to truly appreciate it.
The Art Nouveau Bandeau was made from Gold Diamonds and Platinum in 1917 for the 18th birthday of Princess Donatella's grandmother when she was still an unwed Youssopoff Princess. The tiara is a testament to a lost era and craftsmanship and as such of immense historic and artistic value.
To see this lady of style, heritage and beauty come down the red carpet is an awesome sight and for the public to enjoy the visual appeal of the jewels is not just pretty but also a cultural and historic privilege.
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