A Pink Pearl Brooch for a Trio of Danish Princesses

The Danish royal calendar is full of occasions in the month of April, and yesterday, the family celebrated Princess Isabella’s 17th birthday. We’re joining in today here at The Court Jeweller with a closer look at a special royal jewel from Isabella’s personal collection: Queen Alexandrine’s Pink Pearl Drop Brooch.

As the name of the brooch suggests, it originally belonged to Princess Isabella’s great-grandmother, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark. Born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Alexandrine married Prince Christian of Denmark in 1898. They became the country’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess when his father ascended to the throne in 1906, and six years later, they became King and Queen of Denmark themselves.

During their early married years, numerous portraits and picture postcards were produced featuring images of Christian and Alexandrine, including the image of Alexandrine above. In the picture, you’ll note that she’s wearing a small jewel pinned at the neck of her blouse.

It’s this petite brooch, which has a distinctive triangular shape. The piece is set with diamonds, including three large brilliants, surrounding a white pearl. Its pendant features more diamonds and a rare pink pearl drop.

Here’s another image of Alexandrine wearing the brooch from the same portrait session as the image above. She’s framed it with a single strand of pearls, creating a layered effect on her lace bodice. We don’t know exactly when the brooch was made, but it seems plausible that it was made around the turn of the 20th century.

On May 14, 1940, Queen Alexandrine boxed up the pearl brooch to be given as a baptismal present to her granddaughter, Princess Margrethe. The ceremony took place at the Holmen Church in Copenhagen, and the little princess was given the name “Alexandrine” as her second name during the service. (It’s tradition in the Danish royal family that a royal baby’s name is not revealed to the public until it is said aloud during his or her christening.) It was a tumultuous time for the royal family, as the Germans had recently occupied the country, but the birth of the new princess was a bright spot for the family and the Danish people.

Margrethe kept the jewel in her collection for years, and she wore it in public on occasion. Above, in a photograph taken around 1960, Margrethe appears to be wearing the jewel as a pendant on a necklace during a gala. The delicate diamond drop tiara that she wears was also a legacy from the late Queen Alexandrine, given to Margrethe as an 18th birthday present two years earlier.

In 2007, Queen Margrethe had the chance to pass the brooch along to her own granddaughter. On July 1, 2007, Princess Isabella, the elder daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, was baptized in the chapel at Fredensborg Palace. The little princess was given “Margrethe” as one of her middle names, honoring her paternal grandmother just as Margrethe’s parents had done in 1940.

Queen Margrethe herself added another echo to the tradition, giving the baby princess the same diamond and pearl brooch that she had received as a christening present from Queen Alexandrine. The jewel was accompanied by a handwritten note that reads, “Til Isabella fra Farmor, dåbsgagen 1 Juli 2007. Dette smykke fik jeg til min dåb 14 Maj 1940 af min farmor Dronning Alexandrine.” (“To Isabella from Grandma, baptism 1 July 2007. I got this piece of jewelry for my baptism on 14 May 1940 from my grandmother Queen Alexandrine.”)

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Princess Isabella made her public debut in the brooch twelve years later. She wore it pinned to her dress for a gala celebrating the 50th birthday of her uncle, Prince Joachim, at Amalienborg in Copenhagen.

In April 2022, she made an even more prominent appearance in the brooch for another special milestone in her religious life. With her parents, siblings, and her grandmother in attendance, Isabella was confirmed in the same chapel at Fredensborg Palace where she was baptized as an infant.

Appropriately, she pinned the pink pearl drop brooch to her jacket for the occasion, recalling her own baptism and the love of her royal grandmother.

Here’s a closer look at Isabella wearing the brooch outside the palace after the service had concluded.

Now that Isabella’s parents are on the throne as King Frederik X and Queen Mary, I think we can expect to see her wearing her great-great-grandmother’s brooch on more occasions. The jewel is both unique and classic, suitable to wear for a whole range of occasions. I would love to see her follow in Queen Margrethe’s footsteps and wear it as a pendant!