Happy Birthday to Princess Chantal of Orléans, Baroness de Sambucy de Sorgue, who turns 80 today! The youngest daughter of the Count and Countess of Paris, pretenders to the defunct French throne, Princess Chantal has long been a discreet but notable presence within the Orléans family. By marriage, she is Baroness de Sambucy de Sorgue, uniting two distinguished lineages. Over the years, she has had several tiaras at her disposal, including treasured heirlooms from both her own family and that of her husband, and on her 80th birthday, we are taking a closer look at Princess Chantal’s Tiaras!
The Opal Tiara is among the most intriguing heirlooms in Princess Chantal’s collection, distinguished by its unconventional use of cabochon opals and diamonds in an early Art Nouveau inspired design. Originally assembled for Princess Marie of Orléans as a wedding gift from her parents in 1885, the suite included both the imposing tiara and a matching choker, fashioned from stones sourced from older jewels once belonging to Princess Françoise of Brazil.
After passing through various members of the extended Orléans and Danish royal families, the tiara and choker entered Princess Chantal’s possession—likely as gift from Count Valdemar of Rosenborg on the occasion of the Christening of Chantal’s daughter, Kildine.
Since then, she has worn the tiara itself at notable events such as the Wedding Gala of Duchess Mathilde of Württemberg in 1988 and the Wedding Ball of Duke Friedrich of Württemberg in 1993, and the choker on countless other formal occasions.
Princess Chantal also owns a delicate bandeau, set with diamonds and pale blue opals, which is likely the base of the original Opal Tiara of Princess Marie of Orléans.
A discreet and versatile piece, it can also be worn as a necklace, and to date Princess Chantal is the only member of the family known to have worn it in this manner. In 2014, she lent the bandeau to her daughter-in-law, Anne-Cécile Beaurteau.
The tiara was presented in 1931 to the Countess of Paris as a wedding gift from François Coty and features an elegant floral design set with cabochon emeralds and diamonds. It remained largely unworn for decades, before Princesses Isabelle, Heléne and Anne came of age and began wearing it regularly to the many gala events they attended in their youth.
The Countess of Paris herself wore the tiara on a few occasions in her later years, particularly after the sale of the family’s major tiaras. The piece was eventually sold by the Countess to her youngest daughter, Princess Chantal, Baroness de Sambucy de Sorgue.
In a decisive move, Princess Chantal chose to have the tiara dismantled, transforming its stones into several jewels, most notably a pair of emerald and diamond earrings, a pendant, and a brooch. These pieces have since been worn by Princess Chantal on numerous occasions.
The Diamond Floral Tiara
This antique piece, reportedly made by Mellerio, is composed of three large diamond-set flowers connected by delicate branches and leaves. The tiara was first seen publicly at the Wedding of Princess Chantal of Orléans to Baron François-Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue in 1972, where it was worn atop an elaborate hairstyle created by Alexandre.
The piece is believed to have been a wedding gift to Princess Chantal from her parents-in-law and may represent a family heirloom. Like many late-19th-century floral tiaras, it was likely designed to be convertible and could probably be worn as individual brooches.
In later years, Princess Chantal lent the tiara to her daughter-in-law, Anne-Cécile Berteau, who wore it at her wedding to Baron Alexandre de Sambucy de Sorgue, the second son of Princess Chantal and Baron François, in 2006.
The Diamond Fringe Tiara
Princess Chantal also owns another all-diamond tiara, an antique piece of unknown provenance. The tiara is fringe-inspired, composed of around two dozen tall diamond elements interspersed with shorter ones, giving the piece a strong vertical emphasis.
The Princess has worn the tiara on several occasions, most often pairing it with the Coty emerald jewels. Like many diamond fringes of the late 19th century, the piece is convertible and can also be worn as a magnificent necklace.
In more recent years, the Princess loaned the tiara to her daughter-in-law, Charlotte Paul-Reynaud, who wore it at her wedding to Baron Axel de Sambucy de Sorgue, the eldest son of Princess Chantal and Baron François, in 2014.
The Fleur de Lys Tiara
Princess Chantal has also been photographed wearing another, more mysterious tiara, about which very little is known. The piece appears to be a coronet-style tiara, composed of five tall elements topped with baroque pearls, interspersed with four diamond-set elements in the form of fleur-de-lys. No information regarding the tiara’s provenance has surfaced to date, and it remains unclear whether the piece is a family heirloom or a later acquisition.
During her single years, like all her sisters, Princess Chantal regularly borrowed tiaras from her mother, the Countess of Paris, whenever the occasion required. Among the Orléans collection, she is known to have worn the Diamond Comb at a young age, even before turning eighteen, and she also wore the Art Deco Diamond Bandeau on several occasions.
This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!
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