Queen Mary’s Sparkling Anchor and Heirloom Rubies on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog

Last week, the King and Queen of Denmark wrapped up their summer tour aboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, and Queen Mary wore a meaningful brooch–and her iconic rubies!–on the last day of the trip.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark sailed into the harbor in Velje on Thursday, August 22. King Frederik was dapper in naval uniform, while Queen Mary wore an ensemble in shades of blue, including a navy skirt with petite polka dots and a navy picture hat.

Mary kept her jewelry simple but significant for the daytime engagements during the fourth day of the tour. She wore her floral stud earrings that have a yellow-hued center stone–recently paired with a polar bear brooch in Greenland–as well as a brooch in the shape of an anchor. In this image you’ll also be able to spot her ruby and diamond engagement ring and her diamond eternity band.

Anchor brooches are popular accessories for the ladies of the Danish royal family. Numerous examples of the style could be found in the collections of both Queen Ingrid and Queen Margrethe. No surprise, as the Royal Danish Navy is one of the most important and iconic institutions in the nation. King Frederik’s military service included time serving with the navy (as well as the other two branches of the military). His grandfather, King Frederik IX, was especially well known for his naval career–and the tattoos that he got while serving with the navy.

Here’s a closer look at the anchor brooch that Queen Mary wore in Velje. It’s made of yellow gold and set with diamonds. (The red tint you see in this photograph is a reflection, not part of the piece.)

Mary also wore a gold and diamond bracelet on her right wrist. UFO No More tells us that it’s the “Glory” bracelet from Dulong Fine Jewelry.

Mary also wore the Dulong bracelet, as well as two Dulong necklaces, with a floral dress for a reception held aboard the royal yacht last Thursday evening. But the spotlight jewels of her reception ensemble were definitely her ruby and diamond earrings, which come from the famous Danish Ruby Parure.

The rubies were made in 1804 for Désirée Clary Bernadotte, later Queen of Sweden, to wear at the coronation of Napoleon and Josephine at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. They came to Denmark with Désirée’s great-granddaughter, Queen Lovisa, and they’ve been with the Danish royal family ever since. Queen Ingrid bequeathed them to her grandson, King Frederik X, so that his future wife could wear them. Mary wore them for the first time for two events in the days ahead of her royal wedding in May 2004, and she’s continued to wear the suite of jewels regularly over the past two decades.

The importance of the rubies was underscored in January, when the new Queen Mary wore them on King Frederik’s accession day in Copenhagen. The red and white jewels, which reflect Denmark’s national colors, have become one of Queen Mary’s most important symbolic suites. But Mary has always been creative with her jewelry pieces, and it’s wonderful to see her wearing individual pieces of the parure for less formal occasions as well.