The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Royal Jewel Rewind: King of Thailand’s Diamond Jubilee, Part 1

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King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden greets the King and Queen of Thailand (Photo: Pool/Getty Images)
Today, Thailand is mourning the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but ten years ago, the country was celebrating the 60th anniversary of his reign. For the occasion, royals from around the world gathered for two major glittering events. Today, we’re looking at the first of the two: a reception held at Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall in Bangkok. Everyone was dressed formally, but tiaras were optional. Even so, we saw some royal ladies donning diadems — including a few that we rarely see them wear in public.

Photo: Pool/Getty Images
The Sultan of Brunei arrived at the reception wearing the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn, which is bestowed by Thailand’s monarch on foreign heads of state. With him is Queen Saleha of Brunei, who wears the light pink sash of her highest Thai order, the Order of Chula Chom Klao.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Here’s a better look at Queen Saleha’s jewelry, as well as the elaborate golden and diamond jewels worn at the reception by Queen Sirikit of Thailand. Queen Sirikit is wearing the sash of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri, which is awarded to members of the Thai royal family, as well as other foreign heads of state and royals.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
The British royal family was represented at the reception by the Duke of York. He does not have a Thai order, so he wore the sash of his highest British order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter. This was actually one of the first times he wore the Garter, as he’d only been appointed to the order that April. This reception took place on June 12; he was officially invested as a Knight of the Garter one week later, on June 19.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Representing Belgium at the reception were the Duke and Duchess of Brabant (now King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians). Mathilde wore her white and yellow diamond earrings, plus a glittering diamond bracelet. Both wore their highest Belgian order, the Order of Leopold.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco wore one of her gorgeous kaftans with an embellished belt, plus glittering earrings.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan both attended the reception. Michiko wore the Japanese Honeysuckle Tiara with diamond jewels, plus the sash of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Malaysia’s monarchy is a unique one: its king, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is elected. In 2006, the king was Sirajuddin of Perlis. He attended the reception wearing the red sash of the Order of the Royal House of Malaysia.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg attended the reception; because he does not have a Thai order, he wore the sash of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Only a few months after his own inauguration as Monaco’s sovereign, Prince Albert II attended the jubilee festivities.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Representing Denmark was Prince Henrik, who wore the sash of the Order of Chula Chom Klao.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia represented Sweden. Carl Gustaf wore the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn. Queen Silvia wore her Modern Fringe Tiara, plus the sash of the Order of Chula Chom Klao.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all came from Queen Sofia of Spain, who wore the Order of the Royal House of Chakri (which she had received that February) with the Prussian Tiara. This is one of the only times — perhaps the only time? — we’ve seen her wear the tiara since she loaned it to Queen Letizia for her wedding in 2004.
Stay tuned for more glittering goodness, including a boatload of tiaras, from this Diamond Jubilee tomorrow!

Royal Jewel Rewind: Haakon and Mette-Marit’s Wedding (2001)

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Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway on their wedding day (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

It’s hard to believe, but 2001 was a whole 15 years ago! Fifteen years ago today, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway married Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby in Oslo’s cathedral. Here’s a look at some of the jewels worn by the bride and her royal guests.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Photo: All Over Press Norway/Getty Images)

Mette-Marit wore a bandeau of diamond daisies with her wedding ensemble. The tiara — an antique piece that was made around a century ago — was a gift from her new in-laws, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. It isn’t a family heirloom, though; it was apparently purchased specifically for Mette-Marit.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Photo: All Over Press Norway/Getty Images)

I love when we get these kinds of images of the back of tiaras — this one is a really good view of the way that the tiara is positioned in Mette-Marit’s hair.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Mette-Marit kept the rest of her jewels to a minimum: small diamond stud earrings, silver-toned necklace with a tiny diamond pendant, plus (of course) her engagement and wedding rings.

Queen Sonja (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

For her son’s big day, Queen Sonja of Norway wore one of the most important sets of jewelry in the Norwegian royal vaults: the emerald parure, which dates to the early nineteenth century. (Soapbox moment: it’s really a shame that, when worn with the country’s highest chivalric order, the emeralds look like Christmas decorations. Sign.)

Princess Martha Louise (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Princess Martha Louise, the groom’s elder sister, wore a modern suite of jewelry with her own tiara, which she was given by her grandfather, King Olav V, as an eighteenth-birthday present.

The king’s sisters were both present at the wedding as well. Princess Ragnhild, who has since passed away, wore the tiara of diamond and pearl circles set in platinum, which was made by Boucheron. It was a legacy from her grandmother, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden (who was born a princess of Denmark). Unlike the grand diamond tiara from Queen Maud, which returned to the Norwegian royal family, the Boucheron tiara stayed with Ragnhild’s descendants after her death.

Ragnhild’s younger sister, Princess Astrid, wore her elaborate diamond and turquoise circlet, which originally belonged to Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom. She paired the tiara with other diamond and turquoise gems.

Queen Silvia (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

The Swedish royal family turned out in force for the wedding. Queen Silvia wore the diamond tiara that once belonged to Queen Sofia of Sweden (and which is often called the “nine-prong” tiara). She paired the tiara with other diamond jewels, including a riviere with a pendant and diamond earrings.

Crown Princess Victoria (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore a tiara that has since become her signature piece: the Baden Fringe. (You can tell that this was one of Victoria’s early appearances in the tiara, because the base of the piece is still wrapped in gray velvet, as it was often worn by the late Princess Lilian.) Also of note: her diamond earrings, which are the pair taken from the stomacher that belonged to Queen Josefina.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden wore the sparkler that would eventually become her own bridal diadem: the Modern Fringe Tiara. She also used one of the family’s diamond bow brooches to secure her order sash.

One more member of the extended Swedish royal family was present and wearing a tiara: Princess Kristine Bernadotte, wife of Prince Carl Bernadotte, who was the youngest son of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden. If you’re doing your royal genealogy math, you’ll note that Carl was, therefore, the brother of Crown Princess Martha of Sweden and the uncle of King Harald V of Norway. (He died two years later, in 2003.) His wife, Kristine (who died in 2014), is pictured above on the right (with Flemming and Ruth Rosenborg). She wears a small diamond tiara with arches; you can see a slightly better view of it over here.

Countess Ruth of Rosenborg wore the turquoise star tiara that was given to her mother-in-law, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, as a wedding present by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. (Ruth has sadly also since died, as has her husband, Count Flemming.)

Queen Margrethe II (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

The only female guest at the wedding from the main line of the Danish royal family was Queen Margrethe II. She wore the Baden Palmette Tiara, pairing it with other diamond jewels. On her right hand, you get a glimpse of her unique diamond engagement ring.

Margrethe’s younger sister, Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, was present at the wedding, as was her entire family. Like Margrethe, she wore a tiara that she had recently inherited from her mother, the late Queen Ingrid of Denmark: Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara. She also wore diamond earrings that belonged to Ingrid and some of the diamond stars from the collection of Queen Victoria of Sweden (Ingrid’s grandmother). Benedikte’s necklace is a part of the sautoir that belonged to Queen Alexandrine of Denmark.

Benedikte’s elder daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, borrowed Benedikte’s Floral Birthday Tiara. She wore it with a seed pearl choker necklace. Bjarne Steen Jensen’s book claims that the necklace was one of Queen Ingrid’s christening gifts, given to her by her Swedish grandparents, King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria.

The tiara worn by Princess Nathalie, Benedikte’s younger daughter, is a bit of a mystery. Good close-up photos don’t seem to be available of the piece, so making a certain identification is difficult. I tend to agree with those who think that this is Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, which Nathalie would have borrowed from her aunt, Queen Margrethe.

Queen Anne-Marie (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

The youngest of the trio of Danish royal sisters, Queen Anne-Marie, was also at the wedding. Like her sisters, she also wore a tiara that she had recently inherited from Queen Ingrid: the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, which is also the family’s wedding tiara. Anne-Marie is also wearing an aquamarine pendant that belonged to Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden, plus a square aquamarine and diamond brooch that was a gift from a Greek shipping magnate. Also, note that her bracelets are also taken from the sautoir that belonged to Queen Alexandrine.

Princess Alexia (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Anne-Marie’s elder daughter, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, attended the wedding with her new husband, Carlos. Alexia wore the diamond tiara that many believe is her own personal property, possibly a coming-of-age gift from her parents. She wore her diamond drop earrings at her own wedding two years previously.

The Countess of Wessex (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

From Britain, the Countess of Wessex wore her own diamond wedding tiara to this wedding. She’s also wearing a pearl and diamond necklace given to her by her husband, Prince Edward, as a first-anniversary present.

Queen Paola was the female representative from the royal family of Belgium. (Mathilde was expecting a baby and did not make the trip.) Paola wore the diamond art deco bandeau that belonged to Queen Elisabeth, plus her diamond half-moon earrings and her convertible diamond necklace. Her order sash is secured by a crescent-shaped brooch.

Queen Maxima (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

She’s the Queen of the Netherlands today, but in August 2001, Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti was still the fiancee of a prince. However, she did wear a tiara to this wedding: the diamond base of the Antique Pearl Tiara. Also notable among her jewels: the family’s diamond and gray pearl brooch and her engagement ring.

Princess Laurentien (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands wore the family’s Ears of Wheat Tiara with glittering diamond (and ruby?) earrings.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg (whose husband, Grand Duke Henri, had been enthroned only a year earlier) wore the family’s diamond and pearl choker tiara by Chaumet. She also wore a diamond necklace and diamond and pearl earrings.

Maria Teresa’s mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte, wore one of the tiaras that she donned during her own wedding celebrations: the Belgian Scroll Tiara.

One more royal lady from Luxembourg was at this wedding: Princess Sibilla, the wife of Prince Guillaume. She wore her beautiful (and convertible!) diamond art deco tiara with other diamond (and ruby?) jewels.

Queen Sofia (Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Let’s round out this jewel roundup with one more queen: Queen Sofia of Spain, who attended the wedding in the lovely Spanish Floral Tiara, pairing it with diamond jewels (including a diamond bow brooch).

Note: This is an updated and expanded version of an earlier post.

Royal Jewel Rewind: Monaco’s Princely Wedding Reception, Part 3 (2011)

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Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Our final rewind post on the 2011 Monegasque princely wedding wraps up with a look at the jewels worn by ladies from non-reigning royal families. (If you missed any of our previous posts in this series, visit here, here, here, here, and here!)

Photo: GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Micaela d’Orleans wore sparkling stud earrings and an interesting diamond ornament on a diaphanous ribbon. (She wore the same ornament — which looks like it was possibly a hair comb at some point? — at her own religious wedding ceremony in 2009.)

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Maria Margarita de Bourbon achieved a classic look with diamond earrings, a major diamond ring, and a sparkling dress.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Sophie of Isenburg wore two tiaras during her wedding to Georg Friedrich of Prussia later in the summer of 2011, but for this wedding reception, she donned only gem-set earrings.

This wedding was one of the final outings for a major Bavarian tiara: Ursula of Bavaria wore the family’s sunburst tiara, pairing it with the same diamond earrings she’d worn earlier in the day, a pearl necklace, and a diamond bow brooch. The tiara was subsequently sold.

Valerie of Baden wore one of the loveliest tiaras in the family’s jewelry box: the Baden Laurel Wreath Tiara. She paired the tiara with pearls.

Photo: GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Valerie’s daughter-in-law, Stephanie of Baden, wore another of the family’s heirlooms: the Baden Sunburst Tiara.

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Farah Pahlavi, former empress of Iran, was ultra-elegant in simple pearl and diamond earrings and a coordinating sautoir-style necklace, plus her delicate gold pendant necklace.

Photo: GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Although she has sometimes worn the imposing Musy Tiara at royal events, Marina of Savoy went tiara-less at this wedding, choosing to wear a major necklace instead. The multi-stranded pearl necklace features a cluster-style clasp set with diamonds and a large green gemstone. Marina also wore coordinating earrings.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

But her daughter-in-law, Clotilde Courau, sparkled in some important royal jewels: the earrings from the antique Savoy Tourmaline Parure. Clotilde wore the tiara and jewels from this suite on her own wedding day.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was decked out in diamonds and rubies for the wedding reception. Her gorgeous Edwardian-era tiara, which includes diamond dragonflies set en tremblant, was featured prominently in Geoffrey Munn’s famous tiara book. She paired the tiara with a collar-style necklace; you can also see a massive diamond on her left hand.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Isabel of Braganza wore the petite diamond bandeau tiara that belonged to her mother-in-law, Maria Francisca, pairing it with diamond floral earrings and a small diamond floral brooch.

Photo: GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Margarita of Romania wore the family’s Greek Key Tiara, which originally belonged to a Russian grand duchess. She added a little extra sparkle courtesy a necklace and earring set, which features spade-shaped diamond elements.

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Hearkening back to her Romanov roots, Maria Vladimirovna wore a kokoshnik-style tiara (which we’ve previously discussed here) and matching earrings at the reception.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

And last, but not least, Katherine of Serbia decided to eschew a tiara altogether. She does sometimes wear tiaras at white-tie events, but for this wedding reception, she wore just her diamond chain-link necklace and the coordinating earrings.