Queen Fabiola of Belgium's Little-Known Jewellery Collection

Today we will take a closer look at the jewelry that once belonged to Queen Consort of Belgium, Fabiola. In 1960, the royal world was pleasantly surprised by the news that the young King of Belgium had finally found a bride. Baudouin, who had just turned 30, became the country's monarch in 1951 following the abdication of his father, King Leopold III. Baudouin I led a secluded life, which greatly concerned both Belgium's political elite and his subjects. In the late 1950s, Cardinal Leo Suenens, one of Belgium's leading Catholics, decided it was time to play the role of royal matchmaker. With the groom's consent, Suenens dispatched a nun, Sister Veronica O'Brien, to find a bride for the king. The list of qualities for the ideal Queen Consort was not extensive. She needed to belong to a noble family and be a devout Catholic, just like Baudouin. Sister Veronica's search led her to Spain, where she found the perfect candidate. Dona Fabiola Mora y Aragon worked as a nurse in Madrid. She was the daughter of the wealthy Marquis of Casa Riera, and her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain. Fabiola was a shy and serious young woman, even considering a life in a convent. Sister Veronica immediately wrote back to Cardinal Suenens, praising Fabiola. She is a breath of fresh air, a tall, slender, well-proportioned girl, beautiful and striking, brimming with life, wit, and energy. They had found their future queen. When Baudouin and Fabiola met, it quickly became clear that the young couple was well-suited for each other. The royal wedding was scheduled for December 15, 1960, in Brussels. From that moment, a flood of precious gifts poured in for the future Belgian monarch. A gift from the Franco couple was a tiara with diamond strawberry leaves. The tiara's design was incredibly versatile, allowing it to be worn as a crown, as a wreath-style tiara, or as a necklace. The central gemstones in each leaf were also interchangeable, offering options for aquamarines, emeralds, or rubies. Fabiola first showcased the tiara as a crown at a pre-wedding reception in Brussels on December 14, 1960. A few years later, a rumor began circulating that before it was purchased, the tiara had been stored in a monastery, where it adorned an image of the Virgin Mary. Allegedly, the nuns, struggling through the difficult post-war years, had removed the rubies and emeralds from the tiara, replacing them with glass of the same color. Belgian royal jewelers discovered the deception, and the Spanish government promised to replace the fake stones with genuine ones. The cutting of the new gems was entrusted to the Madrid-based jewelry house Carrera. Whether this embarrassing incident truly occurred, or is merely the invention of schemers, remains unknown. However, what is undeniable is that Queen Fabiola cherished her tiara in its various forms. The piece was a constant accessory of the Belgian queen at official events, including state banquets, receptions, and royal weddings. After Queen Fabiola's death, the beautiful crown vanished from public view. It is presumed that the tiara remains in the Belgian royal collection to this day. Let's move on to the next piece of jewelry, also gifted to the lovely Fabiola for her wedding, the Wolfer's Necklace Tiara. This diamond necklace, crafted by the Brussels jeweler Wolfers from 205 diamonds, was purchased by a group of wealthy Belgian industrialists and public figures for Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragon upon her marriage to King Baudouin of Belgium in 1960. She wore it as a necklace alongside her Spanish wedding tiara at her wedding ball in the Royal Palace of Brussels, as well as at the ball at the Sainte-Quantenaire Museum in Brussels. In the early years of her marriage, Queen Fabiola consistently wore the piece as a necklace. By the mid-1960s, she began wearing the Wolfer's Necklace as a tiara, particularly in a series of portraits and at various banquets. By the mid-1970s, the Wolfer's Tiara became Queen Fabiola's primary tiara, remaining in her possession until her death, though it was not publicly worn afterward. After Queen Fabiola's death in 2014, the Wolfer's Necklace Tiara was among the jewels inherited by Queen Matilda, who first wore it the following year during a state visit to Poland. The Wolfer's Tiara quickly became one of Queen Matilda's favorite pieces, likely because it was less grandiose than the Nine Provinces Tiara, and was not as frequently worn as her Laurel Wreath Tiara. In 2017, Queen Matilda wore this piece as a necklace for the first time. This versatile piece is now expected to appear more frequently. Now let's take a look at the next piece, the Waterfall Brooch. In 1983, King Baudouin of Belgium purchased this antique Diamond Waterfall Brooch at an auction in Geneva as a gift for his beloved wife, Queen Fabiola, who publicly wore it at an event in 1986. After becoming a widow, Queen Fabiola refrained from wearing large jewels, and the brooch remained unseen until it was worn by the then Crown Princess Matilda at the pre-wedding gala of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, where she wore it in her hair. Since then, Queen Matilda has worn the Waterfall Brooch on various occasions, including in her first official portrait. We must also highlight Queen Fabiola's Diamond Daisy Brooches. In the early 1970s, King Baudouin of Belgium gifted Queen Fabiola three Diamond Daisy Brooches, one larger and two smaller, with the latter pair designed to be worn as earrings. Queen Fabiola frequently wore the Diamond Daisies throughout the 1970s and 1980s, sometimes incorporating all three into her hairstyle. More commonly, however, the two smaller daisies were worn as earrings, while the larger one adorned her hair, such as during the state visit of Denmark to Belgium in 1976. The Diamond Daisy Brooch and earrings were among the few jewels Queen Fabiola continued to wear during her widowhood. After Queen Fabiola's passing in 2013, the Diamond Daisy Brooches and earrings were inherited by her niece, Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. Meanwhile, we've reached Queen Fabiola's Tunisian Parure. Comprising a gemstone necklace, gemstone earrings, and at least two gold bracelets, the Parure includes diamonds, rubies, and green gemstones that could be emeralds or others. The Parure was purchased by King Baudouin as a gift for Queen Fabiola during a vacation in Tunisia sometime in the late 1960s. Queen Fabiola wore her Parure quite often, frequently pairing it with her Spanish Wedding Tiara and the Wolfer's Necklace Tiara, with notable appearances during the state visit to Finland in 1969. Unlike some of her other jewels, Queen Fabiola did not publicly wear her Tunisian Parure during her widowhood, but at some point before her death, she passed the Parure on to her niece, now Queen Mathilde of Belgium. In 2013, then Crown Princess Mathilde wore the earrings at a gala following the inauguration of the King of the Netherlands. The earrings have also been worn during state visits, paired with a gold bracelet that was not seen on Queen Fabiola. There is no doubt that we will continue to see pieces from the Tunisian Parure, or hopefully the complete set, in the years to come. And now, in my opinion, the most stunning piece in Queen Fabiola's collection is the Diamond Saltoir. Possibly a gift from King Baudouin to his wife, this Art Deco-style necklace consists of several rectangular plaques, each encrusted with five primary brilliant-cut diamonds, intersected by two square chains on either side. This piece was one of the most versatile in the Queen's jewelry collection, as its length could be adjusted to suit her needs. Additionally, various pendants could be attached to the necklace, offering multiple styling options. One of the most striking pendants often paired with the Art Deco Saltoir was a large, pear-shaped aquamarine. Reportedly a gift from her husband, this was one of many items that contributed to her impressive collection of aquamarine jewelry. The Saltoir with the aquamarine pendant could be worn as either a short or long necklace. Queen Fabiola also occasionally attached three of the largest leaves from her Spanish wedding tiara to the Saltoir. By doing so, the Queen compensated for the absence of a large statement necklace in her collection. This was her choice for some of the most notable royal weddings of the last century. The Diamond Saltoir was also worn with three dangling strawberry leaves during various state visits. On some occasions, she opted to wear only one of the leaves as a pendant. Another creative option devised by the late Queen was to attach a brooch featuring a large square emerald. This brooch was a gift from her future husband, King Baudouin, as an engagement present. Baudouin had inherited this piece from his grandmother. The princess had three similar brooches, which she bequeathed to her Belgian grandchildren. Much of Queen Fabiola's jewelry collection, including her Art Deco Diamond Saltoir, has remained unworn since her death in 2014. Many speculate that a large part of the collection has been passed down to Queen Mathilde. Without any public confirmation, we can only wait and see whether this is true. Let's hope that the Queen finds the right occasion to showcase more pieces from her beloved aunt's collection. And which piece impressed you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments!