New Year Jewels in Copenhagen

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The senior Danish royals gathered together on Wednesday evening for the first of the annual New Year’s Levees in Copenhagen. The sumptuous event took place at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, and there were some major royal jewels in attendance, too.

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark glittered mightily in one of the most important suites of Danish royal jewels: the family’s diamond and emerald parure. The set, which dates to 1840, is part of the nation’s crown jewels. When it’s not being used, it’s on display for public view at Rosenborg Castle.

For the New Year’s Levee, Queen Margrethe wore the emeralds with a green lace gown and one of her fur stoles. She also wore the collar of the Order of the Elephant. You’ll note that all members of the royal family in attendance also wore the collar; this occasion is one of the few special instances during the year when the grand collar is worn rather than the order sash.

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Crown Princess Mary accessorized her burgundy velvet gown with pieces from the family’s heirloom ruby parure, which was left to Crown Prince Frederik by Queen Ingrid. The parure is versatile and has numerous pieces, and on this occasion, Mary wore the tiara, some of the hair pins, the smaller setting of the necklace, the bracelet, and the brooch, which she pinned to her waist to mimic a belt buckle. She also wears the collar and star of the Order of the Elephant, as well as her mother-in-law’s family order.

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Princess Marie of Denmark dazzled in her most important tiara: Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, which is a long-term loan to Marie from Queen Margrethe. She’s also wearing sparkling pendant earrings and a bracelet. The rest of her accessories are all order insignia: the collar and star of the Order of the Elephant, her mother-in-law’s family order, and the star of the French Legion of Honour.

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Princess Benedikte, Queen Margrethe’s sister, also attended the Levee for the first time in many years. She wore a lovely gown in deep purple velvet and accessorized with an important heirloom: Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara, which she inherited from her mother, Queen Ingrid. She also wore pearls in earring and necklace form, plus the Order of the Elephant collar and insignia and her sister’s family order.