The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Nobel Jewels: Review and Predictions

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Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
One of the best tiara days of the year has finally arrived! This afternoon and evening, the Nobel Prizes will be awarded in Stockholm and Oslo. The Swedish celebration features the royal family dressed in grand gala jewels, photographed in wonderful detail. As we get ready for all the sparkle this evening, here’s a look back at some of the recent jewels worn for the Swedish festivities.

SOREN ANDERSSON/AFP via Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Queen Silvia

Silvia generally wears two tiaras for the presentation and banquet: the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara and Queen Sofia’s Tiara. In 2016, she chose the sapphires. In 2017, she paired Queen Sofia’s Tiara with diamonds, including one of the family’s gorgeous floral brooches. And last year, she wore Queen Sofia’s Tiara with the magnificent Vasa Earrings and Bernadotte Emeralds.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Crown Princess Victoria

Crown Princess Victoria is often delightfully inventive with her Nobel jewelry looks. In 2016, she paired the Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara with pieces from the Cameo Parure. For the 2017 celebrations, she wore the family’s gorgeous aquamarine kokoshnik with diamonds. And in 2018, she wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara with spectacular floral family diamonds.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Princess Madeleine

Even though she no longer lives in Sweden, Princess Madeleine often makes it a point to attend the Nobel celebrations. In 2016, she wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara with pearls and diamonds. The following year, she glittered in the family’s amethyst parure. (She was unable to attend the 2018 ceremony and banquet.)
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Princess Sofia

Princess Sofia is a mainstay at the annual celebrations. In 2016, she wore the family’s Cut Steel Bandeau with diamonds and emeralds. In 2017, she wore her own palmette tiara with pearl toppers and diamond and pearl jewels. And last year, she also wore the palmette tiara with a seed pearl choker and pearl earrings.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
Princess Christina

Princess Christina, the youngest of King Carl Gustaf’s sisters, has been attending the Nobels for decades. She missed the 2016 festivities while being treated for leukemia, but she returned in 2017, wearing the family’s Cut Steel Bandeau with diamonds. Last year, she sparkled in the Six Button Tiara and a fascinating suite of jewels made of gold, pearl, and gemstone pendants.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Countess Bettina Bernadotte

Another member of the extended family, Countess Bettina Bernadotte, can frequently be spotted at the Nobel banquet, too. In 2016, she wore a modern tiara topped with multi-colored gemstones, and in 2018, she sported a family tiara made of cufflinks that belonged to her great-grandfather, King Gustaf V of Sweden.
Let’s hear it: what are your jewel predictions for the 2019 Nobels?

The Best Royal Books of 2019

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For our December book club post here at The Court Jeweller, I thought I’d highlight some of my very favorite royal books that were published (in the US) this year — just in case you hadn’t decided what to ask Santa to put under your tree just yet!

Angela Kelly
Angela Kelly, official dresser to Queen Elizabeth II, packs her second book with lots of tales about her life and her history working as one of the Queen’s closest staff members and confidantes. There are lots of juicy tidbits about the royal household, the royal wardrobe, and even some of the royal jewelry. (The secret to the Queen’s sparkling diamonds is … gin???)
Sali Hughes
This delightful little bonbon of a book chronicles the colors, patterns, and textures of the Queen’s wardrobe over the past seventy years. As you can imagine, there are a whole lot of royal jewels included as well! The perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who loves royals or fashion.
Jennifer Robson
There were several major novels with royal themes released this year, and one of the most inventive was Jennifer Robson’s novel. The story follows the seamstresses who made Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown in the lean years that followed World War II, and there’s a present-day mystery woven through the text as well.
Jasmine Guillory
Inspired by the mother of a certain American duchess, this fantastically fun book imagines a charming Christmas romance at Sandringham between an American woman and the Queen’s private secretary. There’s also a can’t-miss scene involving one of my favorite museums and a royal tiara!
Lucy Worsley
Released here in the US right at the beginning of the year, Worsley’s biography of Queen Victoria takes a fresh perspective on well-worn territory by honing in on some of the most pivotal days of the monarchy’s very long life. Highly recommended.
Francesca Cartier Brickell
Brickell, who is a Cartier descendant, writes a fascinating history of her family’s famous jewelry firm, with all the twists and turns you’d expect from a good novel. It’s great to learn even more backstory about the people who made some of the most famous jewels worn by royals.
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell
This fantastic book takes a journey through the year, highlighting all sorts of important (and even infamous) moments in sartorial history along the way. There are lots of royal clothing moments included! Fun for anyone who loves both history and fashion.
Which royal books are you hoping to read this holiday season?
Note: Some links on this website are Amazon affiliate links. I put all money that I receive from these affiliate links back into materials for review on the site, so if you want to read more reviews, please consider purchasing items through the affiliate links in this post and throughout the site. Thanks, everybody!