Royal Jewels at the Cambridges’ Pre-Wedding Dinner (Part 2)

Our look back at the royal jewels worn for the pre-wedding dinner in London in April 2011 continues today with a survey of the accessories chosen by the foreign royals attending the festivities. We had a good range of royals from around the world, almost all of whom stepped in front of the cameras and gave us a look at their attire. (A notable exception: Willem-Alexander and Maxima of the Netherlands, who were staying at the Mandarin Oriental and therefore didn’t need to make an entrance/exit.)

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark chose a two-toned gown for the dinner and carried a beaded clutch bag. Like many of the foreign royals at the wedding, she’s a cousin of the Windsors. Margrethe is the granddaughter of a British princess (Margaret of Connaught, who married King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden at Windsor in 1905).

She accessorized with pearls and diamonds, including a four-stranded pearl necklace and a pair of square diamond brooches. These diamond ornaments were originally cloak clasps, worn as part of traditional royal court dress in Sweden. They belonged to one of Margrethe’s illustrious ancestors, Queen Josefina of Sweden (Joséphine of Leuchtenberg), who was also a granddaughter of Empress Joséphine of France.

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, who are the closest European royal cousins of Elizabeth II, were in attendance as well. King Harald is a great-grandson of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom; Harald’s father, King Olav V, was born on the Sandringham estate.

Sonja wore diamonds and pearls, including a three-stranded pearl bracelet and a four-stranded pearl necklace. She also wore the Drapers’ Company Brooch, which was a wedding gift to Princess Maud of Wales (later Queen Maud of Norway).

Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were the representatives from Luxembourg. Like Prince William and Prince Harry, Henri is a graduate of the military academy at Sandhurst. (Henri’s father, Grand Duke Jean, was a graduate of both Sandhurst and Ampleforth College. He also joined the British Army, serving with the Irish Guards during World War II. For years, Jean was colonel of the Irish Guards, and he could often be spotted during the annual Trooping the Colour celebrations in London.) Henri is also a cousin of the British royals; he is a great-great-grandson of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, who was the elder brother of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa also chose diamonds and pearls for the gala. The brooch pinned to her gown is Princess Ingeborg’s Pearl Fleur-de-Lis Brooch. You’ll note that the clutch bag that Maria Teresa carried is also a royal heirloom: it features the initials of her late mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte.

Sweden was represented at the wedding celebrations by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. (CP Victoria is a great-granddaughter of Princess Margaret of Connaught and a great-great-granddaughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany.)

Victoria wore several pieces of important Bernadotte jewelry for the gala, including the diamond zig-zag bracelet, the diamond floral earrings from the Braganza Parure, and the family’s diamond and ruby brooch.

Three royal representatives came to the wedding from Spain. Queen Sofia is related to the Windsors in several ways. She’s a descendant of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Empress Victoria of Germany. She’s also a Greek royal cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh. (Her son, Felipe, was also in attendance; he’s also a descendant of Princess Ena of Battenberg.)

Sofia’s ensemble for the gala featured shades of bronze, taupe, and teal. She accessorized with her usual layered jewels, including a floral necklace with coordinating earrings and a gem-set brooch.

The Princess of Asturias (now Queen Letizia) wore a gorgeous lavender-hued gown with floral appliques.

She accessorized with diamonds, including her Cartier diamond bracelet and her diamond wedding earrings.

The Duke and Duchess of Brabant (now King Philippe and Queen Mathilde) were the royal representatives from Belgium. The royal families from the UK and Belgium have significant historic ties; the first monarch of independent Belgium, King Leopold I, was an uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Leopold’s first wife was the tragic Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom. Leopold became King of Belgium after her untimely death.

For the pre-wedding gala, Mathilde wore a vibrant orange dress with diamond and pearl accessories. We discussed her necklace (which may have been a loan) in this previous post.

The Sultan of Brunei attended the gala dinner with his wife, Queen Saleha. She wore an elegant printed gown with a matching hijab for the event.

As usual, she also wore impressive diamonds, including brooches, a bracelet, and a rather astonishing necklace.

In April 2011, Malaysia’s monarch (or Yang di-Pertuan Agong) was the Sultan of Terengganu. (The monarchy is an elected one, with the head of state chosen from among nine royal representatives.) His wife, Sultanah Nur Zahirah, was present for the gala dinner. She wore an iridescent purple gown with a coordinating hijab, as well as several sparkling jewelry pieces, including a necklace and a large ring.

King Mswati III of Swaziland (now Eswatini) attended the gala dinner with Inkhosikati LaMahlangu, one of his eleven wives.

She wore several sparkling accessories with her ensemble, including a pair of earrings and a statement bracelet.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn represented Thailand at the festivities; she is the daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and a sister of the present king, Vajiralongkorn. As usual, her jewelry was minimal. Her most striking accessory was her brooch, which features a portrait of King Rama V framed in diamonds.

Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the gala with his fiancee, Charlene Wittstock (now Princess Charlene). She wore a silver gown with a festive skirt for the event.

Charlene accessorized with diamonds, including long pendant earrings and a bracelet. That jewel, which features butterfly and flower designs, looks to me like it may be a Van Cleef and Arpels piece.

Sheikha Al-Mayassa attended as Qatar’s representative at the event with her husband, Sheikh Jassim. At the time, she was the daughter of the reigning Emir of Qatar; today, her brother holds that role. She is also the chairperson of Qatar Museums. For the gala dinner, she wore diamond and emerald earrings with an avant-garde gown. (She has definitely inherited a love for haute couture fashion from her mother, Sheikha Mozah!)

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco was elegant as always in one of her richly-embroidered kaftans. She accessorized with dazzling earrings and a sparkling jeweled belt.

Several members of former reigning families with close ties to the Windsors were present, too. King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece were both in attendance. They lived in London for several years, and they are cousins of both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. King Constantine is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, and he is one of Prince William’s godfathers. For the gala, Queen Anne-Marie wore a gown in shades of cornflower blue and bronze, accessorized with pearls.

Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal were also part of the Greek royal guest list. Prince William is a godfather of their eldest son, Constantine-Alexios. Marie-Chantal wore a gown in a shade of blushing ivory for the dinner.

She accessorized with a pair of JAR earrings, made by the ultra-exclusive designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal.

The Greek royal group was rounded out by Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Tatiana. They were newlyweds, having married in Greece in August 2010.

Tatiana wore dramatic jewels for the gala dinner, including long earrings and a necklace that featured two long strands suspended along her back.

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia attended the gala dinner with his wife, Katherine. A descendant of Queen Victoria, Crown Prince Alexander was born in the United Kingdom and baptized at Westminster Abbey. (Queen Elizabeth II is one of his godparents.) He also had a British military career, graduating from Sandhurst and serving in the Queen’s Royal Lancers. Through his mother, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Alexander is also a cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Katherine often wears this suite of diamond jewels, which includes a necklace and matching earrings, for royal events.