Princess Ingeborg’s Pearl Fleur-de-Lis Brooch

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It’s a new month, which means it’s time to debut our new Magpie of the Month: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg! We’ll be looking at several pieces of jewelry from her collection this month, including a few major heirlooms. Today’s jewel, Princess Ingeborg’s Pearl Fleur-de-Lis Brooch, is definitely a piece with a major family legacy.

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The diamond fleur-de-lis brooch is a very common design in royal jewelry, as so many royal houses use the fleur-de-lis as part of their symbolism. This brooch, however, is a bit of a twist on the classic, with a large pearl serving as the top part of the floral design.

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The brooch can be traced back to Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, who married Prince Carl of Sweden and started a large family of children who married extremely well. One of their daughters was Princess Astrid, who married King Leopold III of Belgium; their daughter was Princess Josephine-Charlotte, who married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. (They’re the parents of the reigning grand duke, Henri.) The ladies over at Luxarazzi note that the brooch was given to Josephine-Charlotte, but they’re not sure whether she received/inherited it from Ingeborg or Astrid. Now, the brooch is worn by Josephine-Charlotte’s daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

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Because the brooch is a lovely, sparkly piece, it’s especially suitable for evening (or important daytime) occasions. Maria Teresa often uses it to secure the sashes of various orders. The brooch was a natural choice for a gala dinner celebrating the 70th birthday of King Harald V of Norway in February 2007; Harald’s mother, Crown Princess Martha, was also one of Princess Ingeborg’s daughters.

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Maria Teresa also wore the brooch on her order sash in June 2010, at the glittering royal wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in Stockholm. Of course, on that occasion, you’d be forgiven for not noticing it, as the massive Empire Tiara certainly hogged the jewelry spotlight a bit!

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The brooch was also a starring accessory in London in April 2011, when Maria Teresa wore it pinned to the waist of her gown at the pre-wedding dinner for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. On this occasion, the brooch was the largest piece of jewelry worn; it was paired only with the pearl drop earrings that Maria Teresa usually coordinates with it.