Blockbuster film Napoleon reignites mystery over his wife Josephine’s lost jewellery: Hunt for necklace and tiara worn by the empress during the imperial coronation of 1804

The blockbuster film Napoleon has reignited the mystery of his wife Josephine’s lost jewels.

The necklace and tiara said to have been worn by the glamorous empress were sold by the Ogden family jewelers of Harrogate in the 1930s.

But no one knows where these magnificent historical decorations are today.

“It would be very interesting to find out what happened to them,” said co-owner Robert Ogden, who with brother Ben is the fifth generation to run the family firm.

Josephine Bonaparte’s diamond necklace was purchased in 1933 by their great-uncle Captain William Ogden.

A newspaper clipping dated December 22 of that year states that the necklace was purchased for “an undisclosed price but said to be in the thousands of pounds.”

A member of the Ogden family firm was quoted in the Daily Mirror article as saying that “this is a lovely range of diamonds, beautifully coloured, and they are set in an antique period gold setting.” They come in a red leather case with an engraved crown and the letter “J” at the bottom.

The following press clipping states that the necklace was purchased from a “French source” in London.

Captain Ogden’s manager, C. C. Drayson, said at the time: “There is no doubt that Napoleon gave it to her. Negotiations have been going on for some time and the necklace arrived from France a few weeks ago.”

Speaking to Mailonline, Mr Ogden, 51, said: “That’s where the story ends.”

He said the necklace “would definitely have been sold at Ogden’s and it would have been a private sale, not an auction.”

There’s no photo of the diamond necklace, but there is a stunning tiara that was also featured in the Ridley Scott biopic, which is now playing in theaters nationwide.

It was studded with 1,040 diamonds and weighed over 250 carats.

The diamond tiara is said to have been made for Josephine, played on the big screen by Vanessa Kirby, for the imperial coronation in 1804.

It came into the possession of the London branch of the Ogden firm in the 1930s.

A local historian said it was sold to a “titled lady” to wear at the coronation of George V1 in 1937.

Mr Ogden said the aristocratic buyer was reportedly Sir Robert Mond, a British chemist and archaeologist.

James R. Ogden, who founded the firm in 1893, was an Egyptologist, which “may explain the connection.”

Sir Robert died in 1938, and his widow Marie-Louise sold the tiara to luxury jewelery company Van Cleef & Arpels in 1948.

The firm advertised it as a “gift” from Napoleon to his wife Josephine and featured it in company advertising.

Indeed, the tiara was presented to Princess Grace of Monaco, who wore it at the Ball of the Century, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Monte Carlo in May 1966.

Rose Kennedy, mother of President John F. Kennedy, also lent the tiara.

In 1969, the tiara was presented at a major Parisian exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s birth.

The famous tiara eventually left the company’s collection, but where it went is unknown.

However, doubts have now arisen as to whether this tiara actually belonged to Josephine. The French historian noted that it is not in the inventory of the family jewels and is different from the image on Josephine’s head in Jacques-Louis David’s coronation painting commissioned by Napoleon.

It is said that the painting took several years to complete, and much of it was painted from memory.

This is certainly the same one that the filmmakers modeled their coronation jewelry after for the movie Napoleon.

Whatever the truth about its origins, the Ogden family is desperate to find out what happened to two historical items that passed through their firm decades ago.

“We’d like to know what happened to both of them,” Mr Ogden said.