Two Scandinavian matriarchs face off in this dazzling contest!

Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara vs. Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara

Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara

One of the grandest and most intricate tiaras in the Norwegian royal vaults, this early nineteenth-century sparkler first belonged to Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway, a granddaughter of Empress Josephine. The tiara took an interesting path to Norway: Queen Josefina left it to her granddaughter, Queen Lovisa of Denmark, who willed it to her son, Prince Gustav. In turn, he bequeathed the tiara to his niece, Crown Princess Martha of Norway. Today, it is worn exclusively by Queen Sonja.

Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara

The original version of this convertible diamond and pearl tiara was given to Queen Maud by her parents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, when she married the future King Haakon VII of Norway in 1896. The tiara stayed with the family for almost a century, but in 1995, it was stolen after it was sent to Garrard’s in London to be cleaned and never recovered. An exact replica was made, and that piece is now worn by Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Martha Louise.

More tiaras and necklaces are coming up next!