Royal Rubies, Sapphires, and Diamonds for Norway’s National Day Celebrations

The Norwegian royal family joined in the country’s National Day festivities on Friday, wearing lovely jewelry that reflects their shared national heritage.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway began their day at their home on the Skaugum estate in Asker. They were joined by their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, as they greeted the traditional children’s parade. They’re usually joined by Ingrid Alexandra’s younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus. The 18-year-old prince is graduating this year, and he spent the day with his classmates.

Both Mette-Marit and Ingrid Alexandra wore bunads, patriotic costumes based on traditional Norwegian folk attire. The ensembles are accessorized with gold and silver jewelry called sølje.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit also added another bejeweled touch to her ensemble, pinning patriotic ribbons to her bodice with her diamond, pearl, and ruby crescent brooch.

Here’s a closer look at the antique brooch from the appearance at Skaugum. The antique brooch was a popular style made at the end of the nineteenth century. Mette-Marit has been wearing her brooch for more than two decades. Before that, it was worn by her mother-in-law, Queen Sonja.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra wore delicate silver earrings to match her traditional accessories in Skaugum.

She also secured her ribbons with a small diamond and ruby brooch. It’s difficult to discern the details of the piece, but I think it might be shaped like a small leaf.

Later in the day, the trio joined Haakon’s parents, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, at the Royal Palace in Oslo to welcome the children’s parade there. Princess Ingrid Alexandra was dressed in uniform for the balcony appearance.

It’s been a tradition for the royal family to greet the parade from the palace balcony since 1906, when King Haakon VII and Queen Maud celebrated the first National Day of his new reign. The Norwegian court notes that the tradition has only been disrupted on a handful of occasions: after the death of Maud’s father, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, in May 1910; during World War II from 1940 to 1944; and during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Queen Sonja looked lovely in blue and white for the balcony appearance. She emphasized her color choices with a suite of blue beaded jewelry. She also secured her ribbons with an antique diamond and sapphire brooch.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit opted for white, red, and navy for the balcony appearance. Her cluster earrings appear to be set with diamonds and rubies.

She also used her ruby crescent brooch again to secure her patriotic ribbons to her dress.

I’ll be back here later today with jewels from the British royal family’s appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show! See you all then. UPDATE: No hugely significant royal jewelry on display at the CHS today, sadly, so I’ll be back here tomorrow morning with our usual article instead!