The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Saturday Sparkler: Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara

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Since she officially became an HRH in 2008, Princess Marie of Denmark has worn precisely two tiaras. While she debuted the silver and amethyst Flora Danica Tiara earlier this year, today’s tiara, a diamond floral piece that has been in the family for several generations, is still the workhorse of her collection. From her wedding to the annual Danish New Year’s Courts to family celebrations, it’s been all floral all the time for Princess Marie.

Princess Dagmar of Denmark, ca. 1921 (source)

The tiara’s first wearer was also a Danish princess: Princess Dagmar of Denmark, the daughter of King Frederik VIII. Dagmar’s siblings included King Christian X of Denmark, King Haakon VI of Norway, and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden — so you know she needed a tiara for all sorts of royal events.

Where and how Dagmar received her tiara is unclear. We also don’t know who made it, although it seems quite possible that the tiara is a twentieth-century piece. But we do know that Dagmar wore it into her old age — she was photographed in the piece at a wedding shortly before her death.

Even though Dagmar and her husband had five children, she bequeathed her tiara to her nephew, King Frederik IX. Maybe she knew there would be more use for a tiara in the main line of the royal family? Dagmar’s husband was a commoner, so all of their children were born commoners, too.

In turn, King Frederik gave the tiara to his daughter, Margrethe. Queen Margrethe wore the tiara for years before handing it over to her new daughter-in-law. Marie wore the tiara for the first time at her wedding, and she’s worn it at all but one tiara event she’s attended since.

I think it’s telling that the court announced that Marie does not personally own the tiara; it’s just a permanent loan from the queen. Seems like perhaps Margrethe may have learned her lesson about tiaras and daughters-in-law after the Alexandrine Diamond Drop was divorced right out of the royal family? Whatever the case, the permanent-loan solution is a good one for a royal family that doesn’t have a family jewel foundation. (Psst, Margrethe: start a jewel foundation!)

Royal Jewel Rewind: The Belgian Royal Wedding (1999)

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Fifteen years ago today, Belgium hosted its biggest royal wedding of the generation. Prince Philippe, heir to the throne, married speech therapist Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz on December 4 in Brussels. Today, they have four children, and they’re King and Queen of the Belgians. Let’s have a look back at the jewelry worn on their wedding day, shall we?

Mathilde borrowed her wedding tiara from her new mother-in-law, Queen Paola. It’s a diamond bandeau that once belonged to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium; Paola owns the piece personally. With her Edouard Vermeulen gown, Mathilde also wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings. She regularly wears the earrings at major royal events. (At this summer’s Belgian royal wedding, the bandeau tiara was worn by the bride, and Mathilde wore her wedding earrings.)

The mother of the groom, Queen Paola, wore pearl earrings and a diamond and pearl choker, plus a gorgeous floral brooch. King Albert II, who is having a really great time in the back, is wearing Belgium’s highest order of chivalry, the Order of Leopold. You’ll see the distinctive purple sash on lots of the men in the wedding photos.

Pearls were also the jewel of choice for the groom’s aunt, Queen Fabiola, although they’re a bit obscured by her jacket and fur. The hat is enormously glorious, perfect for Fabiola, whose hair has always been a little larger than life.

Princess Astrid, the groom’s sister, kept her jewelry fairly minimalist — it was 1999, after all — but I think I spy a brooch securing her fur wrap. Here’s a better view of her earrings.

Here are a few more ladies from the extended Belgian royal family — that’s King Albert’s sister-in-law, Princess Lea, on the left, and his younger sister, Princess Esmerelda, wearing the fur hat. Esmerelda isReally digging Esmerelda’s gold necklace.

King Albert II and the late Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg were also siblings, so of course, the family jetted over from the grand duchy for the day. Josephine-Charlotte wore pearls, including the double-drop brooch that’s one of my favorite pieces from the Luxembourg jewel collection.

Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, then the Hereditary Grand Duchess, went with large gold earrings and a major fur stole.

Because King Albert’s mother, Queen Astrid, was born a Swedish princess, the Belgians also have major family ties to the Scandinavian royals. Queen Silvia of Sweden wore pearls…

… and so did Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, although she also added a pair of interesting earrings and a molting bird.

You can sneak a peek of Queen Sofia of Spain here between Albert and Paola; she clearly also got the pearls-and-feathers memo.

Constantine and Anne-Marie of Greece also attended; Anne-Marie added a pearl bracelet to her outfit.

Kardam and Miriam of Bulgaria were there, too. It’s tough to tell, but it looks like Miriam’s wearing delicate gold jewels.

Princess Martha-Louise of Norway is an especially close cousin; her namesake grandmother and the groom’s grandmother were sisters. She’s on the ’90s minimalism train with her jewels, too.

The couple had a huge bridal party, wearing LOTS of red velvet.

Royals and family (and some of both)…

And the traditional giant royal wedding guest photo!

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 7-13

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November 7-13, 2014
Galas, visits, and diamonds galore this week! Enjoy!

10. During an official introductory visit to Luxembourg on Tuesday, Queen Letizia of Spain demonstrated a bit of jewelry innovation, combining her star-shaped Chanel diamond stud earrings with a shortened version of her diamond and pearl pendant earrings.

9. During a day of engagements in Wales on Saturday, the Duchess of Cambridge wore her green amethyst drop earrings by Kiki McDonough.

8. Felipe and Letizia continued their introductory visits in Belgium on Wednesday. Queen Mathilde and Queen Letizia both chose delicate earrings for the occasion.

7. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands headed to Rotterdam on Wednesday to visit the Norwegian Church’s Christmas market, where she paired one of her signature cake hats with an intriguing beaded necklace.

6. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wore her tortoise brooch at a press conference for the new production of The Nutcracker at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.


5. During a poignant Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Princess Anne paired her poppy with her golden maple leaf brooch.

4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Thursday’s Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. Kate accessorized her lace Diane von Furstenberg dress with Kiki McDonough’s blue topaz and diamond hoop earrings.

3. Princess Caroline of Monaco visited Amsterdam on Friday and attended the AMADE Gala, where she wore pearl earrings and layered diamond necklaces.

2. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands raided the family’s jewel foundation for Saturday’s Franz Liszt Piano Competition, wearing diamond jewelry that included Queen Wilhelmina’s diamond trellis necklace (a wedding gift from Queen Emma in 1901) and Queen Juliana’s diamond openwork earrings.

1. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark traveled to Germany on Thursday, where she was recognized during the annual Bambi Awards. For the event, she wore her diamond and aquamarine girandole earrings, a pair that has been in her collection for a decade, and a diamond bracelet: