On October 30, 2025, the Count of Paris released a video asking the thieves who robbed the Louvre to return the stolen jewels that had once belonged to his family. For 164 years, this gorgeous set of sapphire and diamond jewels had belonged to the Orléans family, where they adorned five generations of strong, intelligent women. This is the story of who owned these jewels, who wore them, and how they came to the Louvre.
French history sucked me into its vortex at an early age. I read young-adult biographies of Marie Antoinette and Josephine before I was double-digits. It was only later that I discovered the restoration monarchy of Louis XVIII (or, as I still pronounce it in my head, “ex-vee-eye-eye-eye”) and the bourgeois monarchy of King Louis-Philippe and Queen Amelie, who had a magnificent sapphire parure. The bottom line? There are a lot of interesting jewels and royal ladies to talk about in these courts.
The Napoleon Diamond Necklace
Created for Napoleon’s second wife, this spectacular diamond necklace has passed from Empress Marie Louise to her relatives in Austria, a French entrepreneur, an American collector, and now enchants millions of viewers every year at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
The Next Empress of France – Napoleon vs the Romanovs: Part 2
As Napoleon tightened his grip on Europe, Alexander of Russia attempted to slip out of it – taking his youngest sister, Anna, with him.
The Next Empress of France – Napoleon vs the Romanovs: Part 1
Between Josephine and Marie Louise, Napoleon had another choice for the next Empress of France: a Russian grand duchess.
Secrets of the Gotha: Source Report
A book that promises to give us secrets of the European royal families? I’m in! Find out what juicy tidbits I found…as well as what you won’t find, which surprised me a little. Read more in this post, available exclusively for Patreon supporters.
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