Scandi Sparkler Spectacular: Danish Ruby vs Floral Aigrette

Which floral wreath will win the day?

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara vs. The Danish Floral Aigrette

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

This tiara began its life as a series of hair combs, purchased by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte for his wife, Desiree, to wear at Napoleon’s coronation in 1804. When Bernadotte was elected King of Sweden, the rubies became royal jewels. The combs were made into a bandeau by Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, who had received them from her mother-in-law, Lovisa of Sweden. Queen Ingrid turned the bandeau into a grand wreath tiara, which is now worn by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

The Danish Floral Aigrette

Some believe that this incredible, flexible floral ornament originally belonged to Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, grandmother of King Frederik IX. We know for sure, though, that in the 1960s it belonged to a famous Danish-American tenor, Lauritz Melchior. He sold it to King Frederik in 1963, and it’s been sparkling on the heads of Queen Ingrid and Queen Margrethe II ever since. Queen Margrethe is especially inventive in the ways she wears the three-sectioned tiara.

PLEASE NOTE: Because a large number of votes were cast by two individual IP addresses (373 votes by one person, 185 by another), all votes from addresses that cast double-digit (and, in these two cases, triple-digit) votes have been removed to make the tally more fair. The updated results can be found in the comment section of this post. This contest is just for fun — please don’t ruin it by spamming!