Grand Duchess Hilda Diamond Tiara Theft April 29, 2017, in Baden, Germany

Summary: The Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara theft April 29, 2017, leaves the Baden State Museum in Germany without €1.2 million ($1.31 million) in crown jewels.

Princess Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden's diamond tiara, photographed Aug. 29, 2015, in Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe, was stolen from its locked cabinet in the throne room (Thronsaal) April 29, 2017; to left of tiara is court gown (train, Berlin 1856; dress, Baden ca. 1870/1880) worn by Princess Hilda's mother-in-law, Princess Louise of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Baden: Gryffindor, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whoever absconded with the Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara April 29, 2017, acted against public admiration of crown jewels allowed by the Badisches Landesmuseum ("Baden State Museum") staff in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The date of the burglary's discovery became the date of the crime's commission in the absence of physical evidence and surveillance footage at the crime scene. Whoever carried the Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara from its cabinet in the former ducal palace's first-floor throne room completed the crime without commotion or confrontations. Online descriptions in The Crown Jeweller article May 9, 2017, declare, without delivering details, that "all security measures in the museum were up to international standards."

Means, motives and opportunities elude investigators of the Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara extraction since no eyewitness testimony or physical, security or surveillance system evidence exists.

Schmidt-Staub, Pforzheim-based court jewelers, fit 367 diamonds onto the gold and platinum tiara of Hilda Charlotte Wilhelmine of Nassau (Nov. 5, 1864-Feb. 8, 1952) around 1906-1907.

The Baden State Museum director Eckart Köhne and the Baden-Württemberg criminal police gave an estimated value of €1.2 million ($1.31 million) to the 100-plus-year-old crown jewels. The Baden State Museum housed the Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara as part of historical collections in the Karlsruhe palace of the grand dukes of Baden. Baden State Museum director Eckart Köhne indicated May 8, 2017, "The diadem is a significant piece of the history of Baden and invaluable to the Museum."

A locked case, not anti-monarchism Nov. 22, 1918, and world wars July 28, 1914-Nov. 11, 1918 and Sept. 1, 1939-Sept. 2, 1945, jeopardized the tiara's safety.

Baden's last sovereign grand duchess knew her birth title as daughter of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Duke of Nassau (July 24, 1817-Feb. 17, 1905).

Princess Hilda of Nassau lived in Karlsruhe Palace as Grand Duchess Hilda von Baden after marrying Sep. 20, 1885, Frederick II (July 9, 1857-Aug. 9, 1988). She made as the Baden tiara's last public wearing the 80th birthday of her husband's brother-in-law, King Gustav V of Sweden (June 16, 1858-Oct. 29, 1950). The tiara last nestled publicly atop Princess Editha (Sept. 16, 1924-May 4, 2013) during her marriage to first husband Tito Brunetti (Dec. 18, 1905-July 13, 1954).

Editha obtained the tiara as daughter of Rupprecht (May 18, 1869-Aug. 2, 1955) and Antonia (Oct. 7, 1899-July 31, 1954), Crown Prince and Princess of Bavaria.

Princess Editha produced the tiara when Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria (Dec. 6, 1918-Aug. 6, 2004) married Helen, Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach (May 20, 1937-Jan. 11, 1955).

The religious ceremony April 10, 1956, qualified as transition from family wear to non-family display, with Rika Zaraï's and Badisches Landesmuseum's purchases in 1973 and 1984. Annexation by the Kingdom of Prussia Sep. 20, 1866, and German anti-monarchism respectively redefined Grand Duchess Hilda's father's and husband's relationship to Luxembourg and to Baden. The last sovereign Grand Duchess and Grand Duke von Baden stayed in the Karlsruhe ducal palace until 1918 and selected Mainau as their last permanent residence.

Who took the gold and platinum-set Grand Duchess Hilda diamond tiara with its 11 diamond drops, one-circle upper and three-circle lower designs and two-rowed diamond garlands?

undated official photograph of Princess Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden, with tiara: Gebrüder Hirsh, Hofphotographen ("court photographer), Karlsruhe, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Princess Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden's diamond tiara, photographed Aug. 29, 2015, in Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe, was stolen from its locked cabinet April 29, 2017; to left of tiara is court gown (train, Berlin 1856; dress, Baden ca. 1870/1880) worn by Princess Hilda's mother-in-law, Princess Louise of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Baden: Gryffindor, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diadem_Gro%C3%9Fherzogin_Hilda_von_Baden_(1).JPG?uselang=de

undated official photograph of Princess Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden, with tiara: Gebrüder Hirsh, Hofphotographen ("court photographer), Karlsruhe, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Duchess_Hilda_of_Baden.jpg

For further information:

Associated Press. 8 May 2017. "Tiara Worth $1.3M Adorned with 367 Diamonds Stolen from German Museum." Daily News > News > World.
Available @ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/tiara-adorned-367-diamonds-stolen-german-museum-article-1.3147411

Beeche, Arturo. 5 May 2013. "+ Princess Editha of Bavaria (1924-2013)." Eurohistory.com.
Available @ http://erhj.blogspot.com/2013/05/princess-editha-of-bavaria-1924-2013.html

"Brillant-Diadem aus dem Schatze des Bayrischen Königshauses und dem Großherzoglichen Hauses Baden." Royal Magazine.
Available @ https://royal-magazin.de/german/baden/empire-tiara-hilda-baden.htm

Elbaor, Carolne. 9 May 2017. "A Diamond-Ecrusted Tiara worth $1.3 Million Was Stolen from a German Museum." Artnet > News > Art World.
Available @ https://news.artnet.com/art-world/diamond-encrusted-tiara-stolen-german-museum-953738

"Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden's Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara." Tiara Mania > May 22, 2017.
Available @ http://www.tiara-mania.com/2017/05/hilda-baden-diamond-tiara.html

"Grand Duchess Hilda's Tiara Stolen." The Court Jeweller > 9 May 2017.
Available @ http://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2017/05/grand-duchess-hildas-tiara-stolen.html

Katz, Brigit. 11 May 2017. "Ornate Tiara, Once Worn by a Grand Duchess, Stolen from German Museum." Smithsonian > SmartNews.
Available @ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ornate-tiara-once-worn-grand-duchess-stolen-german-museum-180963249/

"Luxarazzi 101: Grand Duchess Hilda's Diamond Tiara." Luxarazzi > 8 May 2017.
Available @ http://www.luxarazzi.com/2017/05/luxarazzi-101-grand-duchess-hildas.html

Scarisbrick, Diana. 2000. Tiara. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Smithfield, Brad. 14 May 2017. "The Duchess of Baden's $1,3M Diamond Tiara Has Been Stolen from a German Museum." The Vintage News.
Available @ https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/14/the-duchess-of-badens-13m-diamond-tiara-has-been-stolen-from-a-german-museum/