Virginia
Comtesse de Castiglione

The 'Cursed' Opal

While Queen Victoria revelled in the beauty of the opal, in Spain the stone gained as sinister a reputation as that in Walter Scott's novel.

Alfonso XII

The Chicago Tribune of 9 October 1898 covers the story of the Spanish opal saga, entitled - “Fatal Opal - Curse of Spain's Court”

The main character was Alfonso, son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, born in 1857, he was exiled with his mother in 1868, due to revolution.

They lived in Paris and during his years of exile he got to know the beautiful Virginia, Comtesse of Castiglione, one-time mistress of Napoleon III, while she paid little attention to him until his chances of becoming king became obvious and she used her womanly charms to hook him. Alfonso returned to Spain in 1874, having promised Virginia that she should follow, to have his favour and a prominent place in the Spanish Court.

Mercedes,
Alfonso's first wife

However, Alfonso then met and fell in love with his first cousin, Maria de la Mercedes, they married on 23 January 1878.

The jilted Comtesse sent the couple a wedding gift and memento of her friendship with the king - an opal ring, the stone was:

Queen Mercedes adored the ring and placed it on her finger, her health failed and within months she was dead, just days after her 18th birthday in June 1878, following a miscarriage and a bout of typhoid fever.

Cristina Maria
of the Two Sicilies

The King then gave the ring to his Grandmother, Cristina Maria of the Two Sicilies, she died shortly after on 22 August 1878, from pneumonia.

Marie Christine d'Orléans

The King then gave the opal to his sister-in-law, Mercedes' sister Marie Christine d'Orléans who died on 28 April 1879 of tuberculosis at the age of 26. It is said that Alfonso briefly courted Marie, until it became clear she was ill.

Infanta Maria del Pilar

The ring also passed to Alfonso's sister, the Infanta Maria del Pilar who died on 5 August 1879 of tuberculous meningitis.

Alfonso XII then kept the ring for himself due to its growing reputation, he married his second wife, Maria Cristina of Austria in November 1879, they had three children: Maria de la Mercedes, Maria Teresa and Alfonso.

Surprisingly in 1885, maybe to disprove the rumours, Alfonso decided to try on the so-called cursed ring, it was said that within a day he was dead, although he was suffering from tuberculosis and death was caused by an abrupt bout of dysentry.

Alfonso XII and Cristina

Alfonso XIII was born 7 months after his father's death.

A Statue of the Virgin de la Almudena

The widowed consort, Queen Cristina took little notice of the supersitions, but to placate the family she hung the ring round the neck of the Statue of The Virgin of Almudena in the Cathedral of Madrid out of harm's way.

It is thought the statue was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and the ring disappeared.