As reported by the Austrian publication “Kurier,” on August 28, two unknown individuals posing as ordinary visitors broke the glass of a display case and stole a necklace at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna (MAK). The exact value of the jewelry is currently unknown, but the police say it is very high.
The stolen necklace is made of platinum and inlaid with 673 diamonds, with a total weight of 200 carats. The jewelry was commissioned by the Egyptian royal family.
Egyptian Queen Nazli first wore the necklace in 1939 at her daughter Fawziya’s wedding to the heir to the Iranian throne, the future Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.
The jewelry was exhibited in the museum’s “Glanzstücke” exhibition. It features about 500 exhibits – more than 300 belong to the French jewelry house “Van Cleef & Arpels,” and more than 200 are from the museum’s own collection.
After the theft, the police began searching for suspects. A service dog was brought to the scene. Officers managed to obtain images of the suspects.
The two men sought are approximately 170–175 cm tall, slim build, with dark hair and dark beards. During the theft, they wore black outerwear and dark sports shoes with white soles.
The police believe the criminals may have known in advance which exhibit they wanted to steal.
Egyptian Queen – a cosmopolitan aristocrat
Nazli (1894–1978) was the wife of King Fuad I of Egypt and mother of King Farouk I. She was born into an aristocratic Egyptian and Turkish family, studied in Egypt and Europe, which contributed to her cosmopolitan outlook on life.
In 1919, Nazli Sabri married Sultan Fuad, who later became King of Egypt, and became queen consort – the title given to the current monarch’s wife.
Her marriage to King Fuad, who had a strict and authoritative character, was not easy. The queen was valued for her elegance and modern taste, but her ability to influence political affairs was limited by her husband’s decisions.
After Fuad’s death in 1936, their son Farouk ascended the throne, and Nazli received the honorary title of queen mother.
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