Portugiesische Kronjuwelen
The Portuguese Crown Jewels were the pieces of jewelry, regalia, and vestments worn by the Monarchs of Portugal during the time of the Portuguese Monarchy. Over the nine centuries of Portuguese history, the Portuguese Crown Jewels have gained pieced and lost them. Most of the current set of the Portuguese Crown Jewels are from the reign of João VI.
History
By the reign of King Manuel I of Portugal (1495 - 1521), Portugal had already a lavish set of jewels, the king having been one of the most powerful men in the world at the time and having been known to show off.
In early 1581, António I of Portugal fled to France after Philip I of Portugal was made the King of Portugal. He took with him the Portuguese Crown Jewels, including many valuable diamonds. Being well received by Catherine de' Medici, he sold her some of the Portuugese Crown Jewels in return for France's support in his plans to reclaim the throne of Portugal.
As António I fell into poverty,his remaining diamonds were disposed of by degrees. The last and finest diamond of the Portuguese Crown Jewels would be aquired by Nicholas Harlai, from whom it would make its way to Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully and finally to the French Crown Jewels.
During the Portuguese Restoration War, João II of Braganza sold many of the Portuguese Crown Jewels to finance the war with Spain. When João II became King of Portugal as João IV and deposed the Portuguese House of Habsburg in 1640, he placed his crown with a statue of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and said that she was the "true Queen of Portugal". Since then, Portuguese monarchs did not have a coronation but instead an acclamation. Before the assumption of the Portuguese Throne by the Portuguese House of Habsburg, the Kings of Portugal used to be anointed and crowned in the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.
In 1755, the Great Lisbon Earthquake destroyed Portugal and the Paço da Ribeira, the Portuguese royal residence of the time. With the destruction of the palace,inumerous pieces of the Portuguese Crown Jewels of the time were destroyed, lost, or stolen.
While his court was in Rio de Janeiro, João VI had a new set of Portugeuse Crown Jewels made. Constructed by the royal jewelers at the worshop of António Gomes da Silva, the set most notably included a new crown and sceptre, among a plethora of jewelry pieces. The pieces from this era are the majority of the current set of jewels.
In 2002, a large part of the Portuguese Crown Jewels were stolen from a museum in The Hague, for which they were on loan for an exhibition on European Crown Jewels. Following and investigation, the Dutch government payed a sum of six million euros to the Portuguese government for reperation.