Twenty years ago today, royals gathered in Oslo to kick off the wedding celebrations for Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his fiancee, Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby. To mark the anniversary, we’ve got a look at the very important royal jewels that Mette-Marit wore for the dinner held the night before their wedding.
On August 24, 2001, Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit arrived at Akershus Castle in Oslo for their pre-wedding dinner. Mette-Marit wore an ice blue gown made of dupioni silk for the occasion with a rosette detail at the waist. She also brought along a shawl and clutch bag made of the same fabric.
For the dinner, Mette-Marit wore several pieces of Norwegian royal heirloom jewelry. Her delicate diamond chandelier earrings were a silver wedding anniversary present from King Olav V to Crown Princess Märtha. Later worn by Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise, the earrings were a wedding gift to Mette-Marit from her parents-in-law.
Around her neck, Mette-Marit wore a convertible tiara/necklace with major Norwegian royal history. This petite diadem originally belonged to Queen Maud of Norway. The piece is called the Vifte Tiara, a nod to its design motif. (The word “vifte” means “fan” in Norwegian.) The jewel was one of Queen Maud’s wedding presents, given to her by Alfred, Leopold, and Marie de Rothschild, close friends of Maud’s parents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom.
On her right hand, Mette-Marit wore a royal jewel that has been beloved by three generations of Norwegian royals: her diamond and ruby engagement ring, presented to her by Crown Prince Haakon in December 2000. The same engagement ring was worn by Haakon’s mother, Queen Sonja, and by his grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha.
Mette-Marit also wore another ring on her left hand for the pre-wedding dinner.
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since this royal wedding celebration! Stay tuned—we’ll have more on Mette-Marit’s royal wedding jewels for the couple’s anniversary tomorrow.
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