The Palace of Versailles is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Paris, France.
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, was a French prince, soldier, and statesman who served as Regent of the Kingdom of France from 1715 to 1723. He is referred to in French as le Régent. He was the son of Monsieur Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, and Madame Elisabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orléans. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth by the title of Duke of Chartres.
A tiara is a jeweled head ornament. Its origins date back to ancient Iran, which was then adapted by Greco-Romans. In the late 18th century, the tiara came into fashion in Europe as a prestigious piece of jewelry to be worn by women at formal occasions. The basic shape of the modern tiara is a semi-circle, usually made of silver, gold or platinum and richly decorated with precious stones, pearls or cameos.
Marie-José of Belgium was the last Queen of Italy. Her 34-day tenure as queen consort earned her the nickname "the May Queen".
Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy, was the eldest son of Louis, Grand Dauphin, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria and grandson of the reigning French king, Louis XIV. He was known as the "Petit Dauphin" to distinguish him from his father. When his father died in April 1711, the Duke of Burgundy became the official Dauphin of France. He never reigned, as he died in 1712 while his grandfather was still on the throne. Upon the death of Louis XIV in 1715, the Duke of Burgundy's third son became Louis XV.
Cartier International SNC, or simply Cartier, is a French luxury-goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells jewelry, leather goods, watches, sunglasses and eyeglasses. Founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris in 1847, the company remained under family control until 1964. The company is headquartered in Paris and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont Group. Cartier operates more than 200 stores in 125 countries, with three Temples in Paris, London, and New York City.
Infanta Isabel of Spain was the oldest daughter of Queen Isabella II of Spain and her husband Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz. She was the heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne from 1851 to 1857 and from 1874 to 1880. She was given the title Princess of Asturias, which is reserved for the heir to the Spanish crown. In 1868, she married Prince Gaetan, Count of Girgenti, a son of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. Gaetan committed suicide three years later.
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his official mistress, Madame de Montespan. The king's favourite son, he was the founder of the semi-royal House of Bourbon-Maine named after his title and his surname.
Marie Joséphine of Savoy was a princess of France and countess of Provence by marriage to the future King Louis XVIII of France. She was regarded by Bourbon royalist Legitimists as the titular 'queen of France' when her husband assumed the title of king in 1795 upon the death of his nephew, the titular King Louis XVII of France, until her death. She was never practically queen, as she died before her husband actually became king in 1814.
Maria Theresa of Savoy was a French princess by marriage to Charles Philippe, Count of Artois. Her husband was the grandson of Louis XV and younger brother of Louis XVI. Nineteen years after Maria Theresa’s death, her spouse assumed the throne of France as King Charles X. Her son Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, married Marie Antoinette’s daughter Marie-Thérèse Charlotte.
Marie Louise de Rohan, also known as Madame de Marsan, was the governess of Louis XVI of France and his siblings. She was an influential figure of the French court and a driving force of the Dévots and the conservative fraction of the court nobility.
Marie Thérèse de Bourbon was the titular Queen consort of Poland in 1697. She was the daughter of the Prince of Condé. As a member of France's reigning House of Bourbon, she was a princesse du sang.
Marie-Étienne Nitot was a French jeweller, the official jeweller to the Emperor Napoleon, and the founder of the House of Chaumet.
Queen Elizabeth II owned a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the gems and jewels of the Royal Collection, and from the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels.
The Portuguese crown jewels, also known as the Royal Treasure, are the pieces of jewelry, regalia, and vestments that were used by the Kings and Queens of Portugal during the time of the Portuguese Monarchy. Over the nine centuries of Portuguese history, the Portuguese crown jewels have lost and gained many pieces. Most of the current set of the Portuguese crown jewels are from the reigns of King João VI and King Luís I.
André Mellerio (1862–1943) was a French art critic who promoted the cause of Symbolism and "idealist" art and appeared in two pictures by Maurice Denis. He was the biographer, and great friend, of Odilon Redon.
Diana, Princess of Wales, owned a collection of jewels both as a member of the British royal family and as a private individual. These were separate from the coronation and state regalia of the crown jewels. Most of her jewels were either presents from foreign royalty, on loan from Queen Elizabeth II, wedding presents, purchased by Diana herself, or heirlooms belonging to the Spencer family.
The Queen Marie of Romania Sapphire is a 478.68 carat Cornflower blue cushion cut Ceylon sapphire. When it was sold at Christie's in 2003, it was the largest sapphire ever offered at auction. It is named for its association with its first owner, Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania.
The Marie Louise Diadem is a diamond and turquoise diadem on permanent display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.. It is named for Marie Louise of Austria, the wife of Emperor Napoleon of France.
The joyas de pasar are a historic collection of jewels, privately owned by the head of the Spanish royal family, to be worn by the Queen of Spain on solemn occasions. The initial jewellery set was gathered by Queen Victoria Eugenie, wife of King Alfonso XIII, and are transmitted to the next generation following the instructions that she left in her will. They are separate from the Regalia of Spain which is owned by the Spanish State.
