Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the birth of Princess Sandra Torlonia, Countess Lequio di Assaba, who was born on this day in 1936! The eldest granddaughter of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie, Princess Sandra frequently wore treasured heirloom jewels, most notably the elegant floral Diamond Clip Brooches inherited from her grandmother, which we are delighted to feature today!

Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure | Emerald Brooch | Diamond Clip Brooches

This pair of mid-20th century platinum clip brooches, designed as stylised floral sprays, was commissioned by Queen Victoria Eugenie during her years in exile. Each brooch is pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, the stones forming sculpted petals and leaves around a prominent central cluster evoking the flower’s disk. Conceived to be worn together or separately, the clips create a balanced yet asymmetrical composition characteristic of this historical period.

Queen Ena was particularly fond of this pair of floral diamond clips and wore them often. They appear repeatedly in photographs from her later years. The Queen pinned them to her hat for the wedding of her granddaughter, Vittoria Eugenia de Morone y Borbón, in Geneva in 1961. A few years later, she chose them again for a formal dinner at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, held in the days before the wedding of her grandson, Prince Juan Carlos, to Princess Sofia of Greece.

Following the Queen’s death in 1969, the pair of brooches passed to her eldest daughter, Infanta Beatriz, Princess of Civitella Cesi by marriage. In due course, she entrusted them to her own eldest daughter, Princess Sandra Torlonia, Countess Lequio di Assaba.

Princess Sandra wore the clips frequently, keeping them very much in active use. She chose them for the wedding of her own daughter, Desideria Lequio di Assaba, in 1986, where the diamond sprays complemented other family heirloom jewels. Years later, she brought them out again for the wedding of her niece, Sibilla Weiller, to Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg in 1994.

After Princess Sandra’s passing in 2014, the exquisite floral brooches were inherited by her eldest son, Count Alessandro Lequio di Assaba. Two years later, in a touching continuation of the family tradition, they were worn by his second wife, Countess María Palacios, during the christening of the couple’s daughter, Ginevra Ena Lequio, who became the fourth generation in the family to wear these treasured heirlooms.

This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!

Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure

Emerald Brooch

Diamond Clip Brooches

Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure

Diamond Rivière

Empress Eugenie’s Andean Emerald Cross

Art Deco Tiara

Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure

Diamond and Pearl Daisy Tiara

Queen Victoria’s Sunray Fringe Tiara

Bulgari Diamond Necklace

Diamond Earrings

Fleur-de-Lys Tiara

Chaumet Tiara

Cartier Pearl Tiara

Mellerio Shell Tiara

Empress Eugenie’s Emeralds

Aquamarine Parure

Turquoise Tiara

Queen Victoria’s Strawberry Leaf Tiara

 Cartier Diamond Bandeau

Joyas de Pasar

Diamond Rivière

Diamond Earrings

Diamond Bracelets

Cartier Stomacher

Emerald Brooch