#Countess of Ripala

[tiaramania]

Propiedad sobre la Tiara Marichalar ...

Hola, he leido en su blog cuando se hace referencia a la propiedad de la Tiara Marichalar que uso la Infanta Elena desde el dia de su matrimonio y que ahora han usado las nietas de Doña Concepcion Saenz de Tejada, y por ultima vez la Infanta Elena en la boda de la Princesa Victoria de Suecia. Considero que la Infanta Elena nunca tuvo la propiedad de la tiara, sino el usufructo para su uso dispensado por su propietaria real que era su suegra, por lo que al fallecer esta la propiedad de la tiara paso a su hijo mayor que, es el actual Conde de Ripalda. Es por esto que infiero que desde el año 2014 la Infanta Elena devolvio la tiara a  Amalio de Marichalar y Saen de Tejada . Espero mi opinion sea de su agrado y pueda significar una explicacion certera al respecto.

Saludos cordiales y gracias por su blog,

Leonardo Godoy.

I think that you are the same person that also messaged me on Twitter so I’m just going to paste that here since it’s in English instead of running your message through Google translate.

Hello, I have read on your blog when reference is made to the property of the Tiara Marichalar that Infanta Elena used since the day of her marriage and that now the granddaughters of Doña Concepción Sáenz de Tejada have used and for the last time Infanta Elena at the wedding of Princess Victoria of Sweden. I believe that the Infanta Elena never had the property of the tiara, but the usufruct for its use dispensed by its “real” owner, who was her mother-in-law, so when she died the property of the tiara passed to her eldest son, which is the current Count of Ripalda. That is why I infer that since 2014 the Infanta Elena returned the tiara to Amalio de Marichalar and Saen de Tejada.

I hope that my opinion is to her liking and can mean an explanation about it. Best regards and thanks for her blog.

Yvan L Sanchez Godoy

We won’t know for sure unless Infanta Elena or someone from the Marichalar family say something publicly which I doubt will happen but I agree with you that it looks like the tiara is not currently owned by Elena.  When she wore it after her divorce it was reported that she had kept possession of the tiara but since she hasn’t worn it since María de la Concepción Sáenz de Tejada y Fernández de Bobadilla passed away in 2014 it’s looking more like it was just a loan and she was still on good enough terms with her former mother-in-law to borrow it.  I see two possibilities.  The first is that it is now owned by Concepción’s oldest son,  Amalio de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, the 9th Count of Ripalda, because both of his daughters wore the tiara to their weddings in 2020 and if it is a Marichalar tiara it would make sense to keep it so it can always be worn by whoever is the current Countess of Ripalda.   The other possibility is that the tiara was inherited by Concepción’s only daughter, Ana de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, who wore the tiara at her own wedding back in 1989 and who’s daughter, Ana Coronel de Palma y de Marichalar, wore the tiara disassembled at her wedding in 2018.  This option makes more sense if the tiara came from Concepción’s own family as opposed to being a Marichalar family heirloom.  We don’t really know the history prior to it being owned by María de la Concepción and it could have been a made specifically for her which would make either option equally possible.

The ownership of the tiara is an interesting mystery that I’m going to keep my eye on and thank you for reminding me that I needed to add something to this tiara’s entry on my site to make it clear that the ownership is well…unclear.