Tiara of Maria II

The young Queen had spent the duration of the Civil War in Paris, under the care of her stepmother, Amélie of Leuchtenberg: after her return to Lisbon, she introduced Parisian fashion and customs to the Portuguese court.

Unlike what happened with previous monarchs, who usually sent envoys and plenipotentiaries abroad to buy fine luxury items and fashionable clothes on their behalf, the Queen chose her own jewellery herself, showing her cultured sensibilities and specific taste.

[5] The tiara was sold at auction on 12 May 2021 by Christie's at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva, alongside a set of sapphire and diamond items that belonged to Napoleon's adoptive daughter Stéphanie de Beauharnais.

[4][3] The Government of Portugal, through the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, had initially expressed interest in acquiring the tiara for its historical value, in order to include it in the collections of the planned Royal Treasure Museum.

[1] José Alberto Ribeiro, the director of Ajuda National Palace and the person who represented the government in the auction, immediately attempted to raise the necessary funds, but only managed to gather just under €1 million (of which €400 thousand came from patrons).