Thanks to that, in 1985, the Counts of Paris were able to pocket five million francs by selling the Louvre the sapphire set, which sat along tiaras, necklaces, and diamond earrings that were stolen this Sunday from the famed museum.
“For me, it was much more than stolen jewelry. It’s our history, my history,” wrote Princess Adelaide of Orleans, granddaughter of the aforementioned Countess of Paris, who wore Queen Marie Amélie’s jewelry to important life events. “I grew up with this image,” the princess shared on Instagram alongside of a picture of her grandmother wearing the jewels, “and today this theft makes me feel like I’ve been uprooted.” She concluded, “jewelry has a soul, a life, a story, it’s not just material values…it’s much more!”
In the 19th century, the jewels had already survived the French Revolution of 1848, when their first owner, Marie Amélie de Bourbon-Two Sicilies, queen consort of France, took them with her to her exile from England. In 1864, the then Count of Paris and grandson of Queen Marie Amélie married Maria Isabella of Orleans and the sapphires were passed to the jeweler of this princess, with whom the jewels managed to survive further exile until they finally entered the hands of the last woman to wear them. Before selling them to the Louvre, Isabelle, Countess of Paris by marriage, wore them for many of European royalty’s most grand occasions—such as the great ball held in Athens by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía on the eve of their wedding.
Later today, the Louvre robbery will be addressed by museum director Laurence des Cars, who shall address French lawmakers about the heist and ongoing investigation.
Originally published in Vanity Fair España
