The tiara has a platinum base with gold backing, designed in the style of fleur-de-lys and inlaid with old diamonds. The three large lilies could be detached and split into three brooches.
Maria Anna wearing the Fleur-de-lys tiara (left)
A well-preserved production list of the Fleur-de-lys tiara (right)
The fleur-de-lys tiara comes from the Bourbon-Parma family and belonged to Maria Anna, Princess of Bourbon-Parma. The fleur-de-lys (the royal lily), a Bourbon totem, has long been used by the French royal family for its coat of arms and various decorations. The diamonds used were originally set in the Order of the Holy Spirit of King Charles X. They were removed from the Order and passed on to Robert I, the great-grandson of Charles X and ruler of the Duchy of Parma, the father of Prince Elias. The diamonds are then re-set into the fleur-de-lys tiara by Viennese jeweler Hübner on the family's commission. The empty casing of the Order of the Holy Spirit is now in L'hotel des Invalides in Paris.
The Order of the Holy Spirit of King Charles X (left)
The Order of the Holy Spirit (Empty Case) of King Charles X (right)
