Queen Mary’s Polar Bear Brooch (and Gala Diamonds!) in Chilly Greenland

During the recent visit to Greenland, the Queen of Denmark wore lots of ensembles perfect for the chilly weather–plus a little “ice” (in diamond form!) and a fabulous polar bear brooch.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, accompanied by Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, recently embarked on a lengthy visit to Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The trip, the first of Frederik’s reign, covered several days and lots of territory. Today, I’m going to highlight two sections of the trip, both featuring interesting jewelry moments.

First, let’s have a look at Queen Mary’s jewels from the couple’s July 1st visit to the village of Attu, a small settlement on Disko Bay on the western side of Greenland. The royals sailed to the island on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, and they were greeted by local officials, including Mayor Ane Hansen.

King Frederik and Queen Mary participated in a village walk and visited the local church and school and had coffee with residents at the community center. King Frederik also unveiled a monument marking the 200th anniversary of the settlement.

Queen Mary met some delighted children at the local kindergarten, where she learned about the ways that the school is implementing an anti-bullying program sponsored by the Mary Foundation.

Mary kept warm in a cozy brown hat and sweater during the visit, layered over a navy blue down jacket.

Even with her warm attire, Mary still found a few opportunities to add a little sparkle to her ensemble. She wore a pair of trusty floral stud earrings from her collection. The earrings feature a yellow-hued gemstone surrounded by a cluster of white gems.

Here’s another view of the earrings that shows off the yellow center stone nicely. These have been in Mary’s jewelry box for some time.

Near the folded collar of her sweater, Mary added a playful brooch in the shape of a polar bear. There are small populations of polar bears on the larger island. The brooch was an especially popular accessory with the kindergarteners that Mary met in Attu. (Interestingly, Mary’s not the only royal lady with a polar bear brooch in her jewelry box. The Princess of Wales has one, too!)

Mary also wore her usual rings on her left hand, plus a slender diamond-set band on her right.

The visit also included a few more formal moments, including an official dinner at the Katuaq cultural center in Nuuk, the island’s capital city. The dinner was hosted by the Naalakkersuisut, Greenland’s ministerial government. During the dinner, King Frederik delivered a speech in which he paid tribute to the special place Greenland has had in his life. “Can you lose your heart to a people and a country?” he asked. “Yes, I can confirm that. Greenland has a very special meaning for my family and for me. Queen Mary and I are therefore incredibly happy to be here together with Prince Vincent Minik and Princess Josephine Ivalo.”

For the dinner, Mary wore a dress made of a metallic brocade fabric. (UFO No More tells us that it was designed by Rickie Freeman for the brand Teri Jon.) She accessorized with yellow gold and diamond earrings from Ole Lynggaard’s Winter Frost collection, worn with a pair of pale briolette-cut gemstone pendants.

Here’s another look at the earrings. Mary’s worn the pendants with other earrings, but we’ve also seen this exact combination on her before. She memorably wore the floral studs and briolette pendants together during a visit to the Netherlands in 2022.

Also of note here: Mary’s decorations, which include the star of the Order of the Elephant, pinned at her waist, and two new pieces. On her bodice she’s wearing the ribbon and badge of the Order of the Dannebrog. Frederik made Mary a Grand Commander of the Danish order in May as part of his birthday celebrations. She’s one of seven living Grand Commanders (with King Frederik X, Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte, and Prince Joachim, plus the Kings of Sweden and Norway), and she wears the refurbished badge that was previously used by her late father-in-law, Prince Henrik. Beside the Dannebrog badge is Greenland’s Nersornaat Medal for Meritorious Service. Mary received the golden medal in June in recognition of her long-standing dedication to improving the social conditions for children and young people in Greenland.

Mary finished off the look with rings on both hands and bracelets on both wrists. On her left wrist she wore a pair of gold bangles. One appears to be a Cartier Love Bracelet, while the other features her initial set in diamonds. On her right wrist she sparkled in a diamond tennis bracelet and a bracelet featuring diamonds set in gold bezels. She wore her engagement and wedding rings on her left hand, and on her right, she wore a modern gold ring set with cabochon gems.