It’s Tiara Time! Predictions for Prince Christian’s Upcoming Birthday Gala in Denmark

Prince Christian is the eldest of the four children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. He’s expected to one day become King Christian XI of Denmark, following the reigns of his grandmother and his father.

The coming-of-age of a future monarch requires a big celebration. One of the planned events is a gala at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, hosted by Christian’s grandmother, Queen Margrethe II. There will be lots of royals present, but there will be a huge gathering of young people as well. Representatives from various Danish youth organizations have been invited, as have prominent young Danes in the fields of culture, sports, and the arts. Young people from around the nation, as well as from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, are on the guest list.

The Danish royal court gave us a sneak peek at the gala invitation, which includes information about the dress code. Get excited: it’s white-tie, meaning that we’ll see gentlemen in white-tie or uniforms and women in evening gowns. And decorations and diadems are mentioned in the dress code explanation as well, so it’s officially tiara time! Let’s consider the possible tiaras we might see on some of the confirmed guests, shall we?

A year after celebrating her Golden Jubilee, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is hosting the birthday gala for her grandson. I think Margrethe could go in one of two directions with her tiara choice: either one of the grandest diadems in her collection, to remind everyone that she is the reigning queen celebrating her heir’s heir, or one of the smaller ones, to step back and let the guest of honor shine. She went with the latter choice for Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday gala in May 2018, wearing one of her newer tiaras, and I’d expect her to do the same on Sunday. I’d wager that we’ll see her wear the Naasut Tiara, the Turquoise Daisy Bandeau, or perhaps the Baden Palmette Tiara.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will accompany their son to the gala. (No word on whether Princess Isabella will make an appearance, as she did for one of the Golden Jubilee gala celebrations in 2022. Because she’s not yet 18, she probably won’t wear a tiara if she does attend.) Crown Princess Mary faces the same decision that Margrethe does: wear one of her grandest tiaras, as a future queen consort and the mother of a future king, or a smaller jewel. It’s possible that we’ll see her wear the Danish rubies, but I’d predict a possible appearance from either her wedding tiara or her Edwardian Tiara instead.

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have confirmed that they’ll attend the gala with his son, Count Felix. (Count Nikolai is currently studying in Australia and won’t be making the trip back.) Princess Marie usually wears just one tiara, Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, and I’m guessing we’ll see her choose that one. Otherwise, perhaps this is an opportunity to bring out the Nuits Claires Tiara again?

Danish princesses traditionally receive tiaras as gifts on their 18th birthdays, and it would be awfully sweet to see Christian’s great-aunt, Princess Benedikte, wear her Floral Birthday Tiara for the gala. However, we see her much more frequently in either the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara or Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara, so I’m guessing she’ll select one of those for the occasion.

Benedikte’s son and daughter-in-law, Prince Gustav and Princess Carina of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, will also be present for the gala. I’m guessing we’ll see Carina wear her diamond spike tiara, which she has chosen for nearly all tiara appearances so far—though it would be exciting to see her wear the SWB Fringe for the first time, too!

Christian’s other great-aunt, Queen Anne-Marie, will be present as well. She might wear the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, an important Danish royal heirloom that she favors often for gala events. Or perhaps this would be a special opportunity to dust off her 18th-birthday gift diadem, the Antique Corsage Tiara, too? That’s a longshot, as the tiara is now worn almost exclusively by the next generation of her family, but it would be very fun to see Anne-Marie wear it again.

Members of other royal families have confirmed their attendance at the gala as well. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, who is one of Christian’s godparents, will be present with her husband, Prince Daniel, and their daughter, Princess Estelle. I’d wager that we’ll see Victoria wear one of her go-to dinner jewels, perhaps the Baden Fringe Tiara or the Boucheron Laurel Wreath Tiara.

Princess Estelle isn’t wearing tiaras yet, but she might go for the same kind of jeweled headband that she wore for the 18th birthday celebrations for Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway back in June 2022. Or maybe a diamond necklace or bracelet in the hair would work, too?

The Norwegian royal family will be represented by Crown Prince Haakon, another of Christian’s godparents, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. (Crown Princess Mette-Marit is sadly not well at the moment, so she won’t be making the trip either.) I’d love to see Princess Ingrid Alexandra try out a new tiara, like the Norwegian Amethysts or the Vifte Tiara, but I’m expecting that we’ll see her wear her Pearl Circle Tiara for the dinner.

UPDATE: Great news from Norway! It was announced on Thursday that Crown Princess Mette-Marit is now well enough to return from her sick leave, so she’s planning to join Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra in Copenhagen on Sunday. As usual, I’m expecting to see her wearing her Diamond Daisy Bandeau.

The Duchess of Brabant, heir to the throne of Belgium, will be at the gala dinner as well. Elisabeth has a gorgeous antique diamond tiara in her personal collection, and I expect that we’ll see her wear it again for this birthday celebration.

I’ll update this post if we get additional royal guest confirmations. Which tiaras are you hoping to see sparkling in Copenhagen on Sunday evening?