The crowns for the image of Our Lady of Fatima were manufactured with gold, silver and precious stones offered by Portuguese women who gave their jewellery in thanksgiving for the fact that Portugal did not enter the Second World War.

The result of this initiative was handed over to Casa Leitão & Irmão. The generosity of the offerings was so great that two crowns were made: one in gilded silver and the other in gold and precious stones.

Both crowns are queen’s crowns — Queen of Heaven and Queen of Portugal — evoking the dedication of the kingdom to Our Lady by King João IV in 1646.

< Crown in precious stones
Leitão & Irmão, 1942

For several months, 12 jewellers worked on this project, which resulted in a precious piece of Portuguese jewellery known as "the Crown of Our Lady of Fatima".

The coronation ceremony took place in Fatima on 13 May 1946. Since then, the Lady of Fatima has had two crowns: the golden silver crown, worn every day; and the "Precious Crown" , in gold and precious stones, for the days of great pilgrimages.

Silver gilt crown >
Leitão & Irmão, 1946

Crown of the New Millennium

Leitão & Irmão, 2000

Crown of the Pilgrim Image of Fatima

Leitão & Irmão, 2019

Almost half a century later, in 1984, the Precious Crown gained another prominence when Pope John Paul II offered Our Lady of Fatima the bullet that hit him in the 13 May 1981 attack on the Vatican.

The bullet found the perfect fit in the empty space, left in 1942 at the junction of the eight rods that make up the crown.