Today we take a break from Danish Tiara November in honor of the Duchess of Alba who passed away early Thursday morning at the age of 88.
this photograph of the Duchess of Alba predates the invention of the cotton gin.
The Duchess was also the owner of an impressive wedding tiara, now fittingly known as the Alba Wedding Tiara.
This enormous diamond and pearl affair was once owned by Empress Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, from whom the Duchess of Alba is a descendant. Seven inverted poiré pearls top seven diamond loops fashioned in the shape of laurels, these alternate with detailed floral spikes, each culminating in a huge twinkling diamond. The base is a chain of lover’s knots and forget-me-nots. Since the frame is made of platinum, not a popular medium during the French Empire, it was most likely reset over the years.
Cayetana wore the tiara for her first marriage in 1947 to Luís Martínez de Irujo y Artacoz, the society event of the year. The entire affair was outlandishly luxurious and cost a fortune, especially for a post-war wedding. Leaving all preferences and prejudices aside, the Alba wedding was more talked about and eclipsed Elizabeth II’s wedding that took place one month later. [Since this was more than 30 years before your Blog Hostess was incarnated in this life, we’ll have to take the Internet’s word for it.]
Her dress, though simple in design like most 1940s dresses, was made of white satin and Brussels lace by Flora Villareal. If that means nothing to us in the 21st Century, allow me to translate: cha-ching! Spain has its own lace, let’s put it that way. Ostentatious, shall we? [Then again, so is having 46 titles.]
She didn’t only wear it for her wedding. Check out the Duke & Duchess at the Imperial Ball, strangely held in New York. [Makes one wonder if it was mislabeled.]
Back to the weddings…those gifs tend to give your Blog Hostess the feeling of an oncoming sneeze.
The Duchess’ daughter, Eugenia, Duchess of Montojo by courtesy of her mom, also wore the historic tiara for her wedding in 1998.
It is one of three tiaras we know to be owned by the House of Alba but only a daughter of the house may wear it. When her sons married, then new daughters-in-law wore the “Russian tiara,” as they call it in Spanish. [I’m sure there’s another nickname for it in English.]
history buff, jewelry whore, chatterbox, mets fan
This tiara looks really medieval on the Duchess of Montojo–or maybe it’s the veil.. Anyway, I hope you do a post on the tiara the Duchess is wearing pre-cotton gin.
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that is the traditional ducal coronet in Spain, I believe. I don’t know if they hand them out like Phi Beta Kappa keys or what…
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OH! Now I see it. Yeah, it’s like het head’s got a smaller circumference than her mom’s. It’s funny you point that out because somebody was calling today’s princesses pinheads in the fact they can’t wear the grand tiaras.
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She doesn’t look all that happy in the cotton gin tiara.
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do you think she’s posed to look “pensive?” What year do you think it was taken?
And why does she look so blonde when in all her wedding photos she looks like my Southern Italian grandma? [who also wed in the 40s. must be the dress.]
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Doing my math (OK, I used a calculator) the photo was probably from the early 1950’s. The hair isn’t as…stringent as it would look in the 1940’s, anyway. Or in those heady days before the cotton gin. It’s an interesting photo…the ‘modernity’ doesn’t clash with the lovely tiara at all.
‘Society event of the year’…don’t you yearn for the days when that was actually a thing?
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yes! I know for certain that I’ve yearned for those happy days. [cue hands clapping in time, image spinning record player. 1-2-3-o’clock…]
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Interesting note on the Pinheads of the newer generation! I really like the look of the tiara, but the proportions seem off to me. It is slightly and almost unnaturally large even on the Duchess of Alba. It sort of makes me wonder if A) Eugenia, The Original had a big honkin’ head or B) Did the commissioner and/or royal jeweler say “screw proportion, it is all about status!” and let Eugenia wear something we feel is fit for an Empress?
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Brava Lady M on a capital comment! La duquesa was petite by Spanish standards so that might explain how it looks on her noggin’ and her daughters. (To put it in perspective, I’m 5’2″ and am slightly above average height in Spain. Weird!)
As for the “just go regal” slogan you’ve invented and should totally put on T-shirts, you actually hit the nail on the head. The empress for whom it was made was not of noble birth and in order to make up for it Napoleon III decked his darling in the most opulent jewels. Put enough tiaras on a gal she becomes royal? Maybe that’s the thought behind the surge in tiara sales at auction…hmm.
Great comment! Gold star!
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Pretty. Pretty. I also love Duchess of Alba’s “Cotton Gin/Snow Flakes” tiara. Fabulous portrait. Great dress, to boot. Maybe the “Alba Wedding Tiara” just needs a little pouf? Some ratting and rolling here and there?
~Theadora
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Everyone comments on that Spanish ducal coronet! It should be a conversation piece at cocktail parties. I just found a pic of her mother wearing one. [Hello easy post!]
I really did “LOL” at the ‘rattling and rolling’ part. It just reminds me of “rocking and a-realin'” from that Beach Boys song ‘Barbara Ann.’ I’ll be singing it all day!
Time to check you out—er, I mean your blog post! Hope you had a happy not-Thanksgiving in Paris!
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http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/princess-mary-daughter-of-charles-i-33684.
^^ this is a painting by Anthony van Dyck of Princess Mary daughter of Charles I. It is currently housed in MFA Boston. Can you do your next piece on Princess Mary’s crown? It is so beautiful and I’d love to know if it really exists or not outside of that painting!
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Oh boy oh boy! A request! I’m on it! Thank you! I can’t wait to do an ol’ fashioned “Tiara Time Investigates” on it!”
Thank you for being a reader and a requester! Gold Star for Evening Star Art!
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It’s Montoro, not Montojo. And yes, she looked medieval. And the groom is a toreador! (they got divorced…)
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Yes, I was aware of their divorce, but this blog isn’t about royal gossip, it’s about when and for what occasion these diademas appear…unfortunately less and less. My sources on the “Montojo” were multiple articles in ABC and the registry of Spanish nobility. But Hell–I’ll double-check for you. I’m certain the Marqués de Zarco would know.
Thank you so much for your comment, hope you’ll become a regular round here!
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You need serious tiara hair to wear this. She should have taken inspiration from Princess Margaret and the might Poltimore tiara . Her hair looks flat and the lace veil looks like a limp noodle. There should be a tiara wearing training school.
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Thanks for all your comments, Princess! Hope you’ll become a regular. Yes, tiara training school sounds important. Reminds me of when proper young ladies would practice posture with a book on their heads.
Agreed! the Poltimore and the Alba Wedding tiara practically mandate a beehive hair-do. See what I mean about a flexible base? Neither of those have one, so your options are far less for hair.
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