El joyero de la reina

These pages offer a different and original perspective on Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the last Spanish queen before the Second Republic. She arrived in Spain from England in 1906 to marry Alfonso XIII, bringing a breath of fresh air to the Court and provoking much criticism for what were considered transgressions. Her life unfolded amidst political conspiracies, assassination attempts, disillusionment, and exile. As her life crumbled due to the blood disease inherited by some of her children and the king's constant infidelities, her jeweler, Ramiro García-Ansorena, taught her the history and lives of the queens of Spain through their jewels. He also made her understand that diamonds, pearls, and precious stones would be her strength and her security: "A jewel is the only thing that lasts forever." Her extraordinary diamond necklace grew in tandem with the king's growing disaffection for her, as he showered her with jewels in an attempt to buy her forgiveness.