Today, Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg celebrates her birthday, and in her honor, we’re taking a look back at an interesting trio of tiara appearances from the then-princess nearly two decades ago.
From 1995 until 2005, Countess Alexandra was married to Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Queen Margrethe II. As Princess Alexandra, she was a core member of the Danish royal family, making frequent appearances in the sparkling diamond tiara given to her by her mother-in-law. When her brother-in-law, Crown Prince Frederik, married Mary Donaldson in May 2004, Alexandra wore her tiara three times during the wedding celebrations in Copenhagen.
The first of these appearances took place on May 11, 2004, when Alexandra arrived for a gala at Christiansborg Palace wearing a pink and gold evening gown with a lace bodice. The sash and star of the Order of the Elephant and Queen Margrethe II’s Royal Family Order were attached to the dress as well.
Alexandra wore the same diamond tiara she wore for all of her gala appearances as a Danish princess: the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara, which was her wedding gift from Queen Margrethe II. The delicate tiara features tiny diamond drops that look like dew suspended from thin metal arches. It originally belonged to Margrethe’s Danish royal grandmother, Queen Alexandrine. Several years after Alexandrine’s death, Margrethe received it as an 18th-birthday present from her father, King Frederik IX. In turn, in 1995, Margrethe gave the tiara to Alexandra, who now owns it personally. She wore it for the Christiansborg gala with diamond and pearl drop earrings and a pearl ring.
Two days later, Alexandra wore her tiara again for a pre-wedding gala concert at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.
She wore the tiara with a sleeveless, v-neck gown with lots of embroidery and a contrasting skirt. Her decorations again included her mother-in-law’s Royal Family Order and the insignia of the Order of the Elephant.
Alexandra again wore the diamond drop tiara for the concert, pairing it with the same pearl drop earrings. She also wore a diamond necklace with a large pearl pendant for the occasion. She’s worn the same necklace over the years with other pendants as well.
For the royal wedding at Copenhagen’s cathedral on May 14, Princess Alexandra wore an eye-catching hot pink gown with a matching capelet. The gown and capelet both featured lots of starry embroidery. The same sash, star, and RFO badge were also pinned to the dress.
This was the third outing for the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara on Alexandra in four days. For the wedding, she perched the tiara atop a carefully-constructed hairstyle.
She also added a pair of diamond earrings to her ensemble.
The earrings, which appear to be antique, feature a diamond floral and frame design. This was, I believe, the second time she’d worn the earrings in public, after the Romanian state banquet in March 2004.
For the wedding dinner and reception, Alexandra removed the capelet, revealing an off-the-shoulder neckline—and another fantastic piece of jewelry.
Her diamond necklace matches the earrings she wore for the wedding ceremony. Sadly, we didn’t have much longer to see Alexandra regularly at gala occasions in Denmark. She and Prince Joachim announced their separation in September 2004, and they divorced the following year. Alexandra retained the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara after the divorce, and you’ll occasionally still see her wearing it at Danish royal gala events—most recently at Queen Margrethe II’s Golden Jubilee concert in September 2022.
Which of these three May 2004 tiara appearances was your favorite—and do you think the early 2000s fashion and styling holds up today???
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