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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Royal Jewel Rewind: Haakon and Mette-Marit’s Wedding (2001)

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He was a crown prince, and she was a single mother and a waitress: theirs is something of a real-life Cinderella story. On this day fourteen years ago, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, the nation’s future king and queen, married in Oslo. Let’s have a look at the jewels worn at their wedding, shall we? (PS: if you missed yesterday’s look back to their pre-wedding gala, head over here!)

The bride wore a lovely, sleek, simple wedding gown and adorned it with equally delicate jewels. The star of the show, jewelry-wise, was the diamond daisy bandeau given to her by her new parents-in-law, King Harald and Queen Sonja. She also wore a delicate necklace and small earrings.

And here’s a better look at the dress, including the dramatic bouquet. (And look how young Haakon looks without the beard!)

Haakon’s mother, Queen Sonja, wore the family’s magnificent suite of emeralds with a bright green gown. She also wore the Order of St. Olav and King Harald’s family order.

The groom’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, wore the tiara given to her by her grandfather, King Olav. She also wore an … interesting set of jewelry, including a necklace, a bracelet, and earrings, that look to be set with topazes or aquamarines. You can also spot a small diamond brooch, the Order of St. Olav, and her father’s family order. I’m not sure about the ring — it’s not her engagement ring, as she and Ari didn’t make their engagement official until that December.

Princess Astrid, King Harald’s sister and Crown Prince Haakon’s godmother,wore the gorgeous suite of turquoise and diamond jewelry that belonged to Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, her great-grandmother. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav and three family orders: those of her grandfather (King Haakon VII), her father, (King Olav V), and her brother (King Harald V).

Without a doubt, the most adorable Norwegian guest at the wedding was Mette-Marit’s son, Marius. Look at his little suit! How many four-year-olds get to wear white tie and tails?

Queen Silvia of Sweden dazzled in diamonds, including Queen Sofia’s Tiara, the Carl Johan Earrings, a diamond collet necklace with a pendant, diamond bracelets, and a large diamond brooch. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav and the family order of her husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (who is also Crown Prince Haakon’s godfather).

Crown Princess Victoria made an early appearance in what has become her signature tiara, the Baden Fringe. She’s also wearing the small diamond earrings made from Queen Josefina’s diamond stomacher, a diamond and pearl brooch, the Order of St. Olav, and her father’s family order.

Princess Madeleine wore the Modern Fringe Tiara to the wedding. (It’s the same piece that she wore at her wedding, but she couldn’t have known that then — her wedding day was still more than eleven years in the future.) She’s also wearing simple diamond stud earrings, the Bernadotte diamond bow brooch, and a diamond necklace. She didn’t yet have a Norwegian order in 2001, so she’s wearing the Order of the Seraphim, plus her father’s family order.

Also representing the Swedes: Prince Carl Philip, who escorted his sisters. Like Madeleine, he’s wearing the Order of the Seraphim.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (another of Crown Prince Haakon’s godparents) wore the appropriately heart-shaped Baden Palmette Tiara to the wedding, pairing it with a diamond riviere and a pair of over-the-top diamond floral earrings. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav, the badge of the Order of the Dannebrog, and her father’s family order.

No Mary yet at this wedding — but Crown Prince Frederik was the best man! He’s wearing the Order of St. Olav.

Princess Benedikte, Margrethe’s younger sister, wore a tiara she had just inherited from her late mother: Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara. She paired it with a diamond necklace that was made from a sautoir that belonged to Queen Alexandrine, plus Queen Ingrid’s diamond fan earrings and star brooches that belonged to Queen Victoria of Sweden. She’s also wearing the Order of St. Olav.

Benedikte’s elder daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, borrowed her mother’s Floral Birthday Tiara for the wedding. She also wore an elaborate choker necklace of seed pearls. Bjarne Steen Jensen, author of a book on Danish jewels, states that the piece was one of Queen Ingrid’s christening gifts, given to her by her Swedish grandparents, King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria.

Queen Margrethe’s youngest sister, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, also wore a piece of Ingrid’s jewelry at the wedding: the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, which belonged to Ingrid’s mother, Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden. (The piece is now the wedding tiara for Ingrid’s female descendants.) Anne-Marie is also wearing an aquamarine pendant that belonged to Margareta, plus a square aquamarine and diamond brooch that was a gift from a Greek shipping magnate. The diamond bracelets on her right wrist are a part of the convertible necklace made from Queen Alexandrine’s sautoir. She’s also wearing her highest Greek order, the Order of the Redeemer.

Anne-Marie’s elder daughter, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, wore her diamond tiara at the wedding. She also wore the same small diamond earrings that she wore at her wedding, plus a brooch with a small pendant drop and the Order of the Redeemer.

Anne-Marie’s second son, Prince Nikolaos, also attended the wedding. Like his mother and sister, he’s wearing the Order of the Redeemer.

The Brits sent three representatives to Haakon’s wedding — though curiously, his British godmother, Princess Anne, didn’t attend. Prince Charles came alone (though Haakon and Mette-Marit returned the favor four years later, as some of the only European royals to attend his wedding to Camilla). Charles is wearing the Order of St. Olav.

The other Windsors at the wedding were the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Sophie wore her wedding tiara, diamond earrings, and the pearl and diamond necklace given to her by Edward as a first anniversary present.

Queen Paola of Belgium wore Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau, plus her diamond half-moon earrings, her convertible diamond necklace, a crescent-shaped brooch, and the Order of St. Olav.

The Duke of Brabant — now King Philippe of the Belgians — attended the wedding without his wife, Mathilde, who was expecting their first child, Princess Elisabeth (now the Duchess of Brabant). Philippe is wearing his highest Belgian order, the Order of Leopold.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg wore the Chaumet Pearl Choker Tiara to the wedding, plus an enormous double-stranded diamond necklace, diamond bracelets, diamond and pearl earrings, and the Order of St. Olav.

To solve the problem of a modest tiara for a princess-to-be, Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (now Queen Máxima of the Netherlands) wore the base of the Antique Pearl Tiara without its upright pearls. She’s also wearing earrings and a brooch set with diamonds and gray pearls.

She also wore diamond bracelets and her engagement ring.

Willem-Alexander’s brother, Prince Constantijn (wearing the Order of the Netherlands Lion), attended the wedding with his wife, Princess Laurentien. She wore the family’s Ears of Wheat Tiara, made of brooches that date to the beginning of the 19th century.

No Monegasque princesses at this wedding, unfortunately, but Prince Albert II attended, wearing the Order of Saint-Charles.

Queen Sofia of Spain wore her floral tiara with diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and a diamond bow brooch, plus the Order of St. Olav. Her escort was her son, the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe VI of Spain). This was pre-Letizia, and many of you will remember that Felipe’s controversial wedding date was…

… his girlfriend, the statuesque Norwegian model Eva Sannum. Their relationship ended a few months later, and he met Letizia the following year.

Which jewels from this royal wedding are your favorites?

The Top Ten: Lost Tiaras

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As I’m doing historical research for the blog, I’m constantly running into the stories of gorgeous tiaras that were once in royal hands but have since, for various reasons, left their owners behind. Whether they were dismantled, stolen, or sold, these lost tiaras are fascinating to me. Who wears them now? Will we ever see them in public again? Here’s my list of ten of the most interesting lost tiaras — feel free to add your own list in the comments below!

10. Princess Christina’s Diamond and Pearl Tiara

It may not look like much, but the small diamond and pearl tiara that was once worn by Princess Christina of Sweden had a major royal pedigree. The tiara once belonged to Christina’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Sofia of Sweden. She probably left the tiara to her second son, Prince Oscar, who had to give up his title to marry one of the royal ladies-in-waiting, Ebba Munck. Oscar and Ebba’s third daughter, Elsa Cedergren, was Princess Christina’s godmother; she gave Christina the tiara. But sadly, the piece was stolen from Christina’s home in 2012. The thief threw the tiara from a bridge in Stockholm, and although divers searched for it, it was never recovered.

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9. Maria Alexandrovna’s Diamond Fringe Tiara

When Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia married the Duke of Edinburgh (a son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) in 1874, her father offered her a traditional Romanov wedding gift: a kokoshnik-style diamond fringe tiara. The couple had four daughters, but the imperial fringe ended up with their granddaughter, Queen Maria of Yugoslavia. After the abolition of the monarchy in Yugoslavia and Queen Maria’s death, her descendants sold the tiara at auction in 1960.

8. The Bavarian Sunburst Tiara

Most of the tiaras that go on the auction block have been in dusty cabinets for years, but this tiara was worn at royal events until shortly before it was sold. The tall, intricate diamond tiara was a wedding gift from Queen Isabella II of Spain to her daughter, Infanta Maria de la Paz, who married Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria in 1883. The fleur-de-lis design at the center of the piece is an important symbol of the House of Bourbon, which still reigns in Spain today. The current generation of Bavarian royal women wore the piece up until 2013, when it was sold at Sotheby’s for more than $180,000.

7. Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara

The Norwegian royal ladies are still wearing a diamond and pearl tiara just like the one owned by Queen Maud, but it’s actually a very careful copy of the original. In 1995, the Norwegians sent their jewels to Garrard in London to be cleaned and repaired. (Many of their pieces were created by Garrard, the former British crown jeweler, because Queen Maud was born a British princess.) And then, tiara tragedy struck: thieves broke into the Garrard workroom and stole Queen Maud’s elaborate diamond and pearl tiara. It’s never been recovered. As a mea culpa, Garrard created a replica of the original tiara, diamonds, pearls, and all, and that’s the one you’ll see the Norwegian queen and princesses wearing today.

6. The Harewood Scroll Tiara

When Princess Mary, the daughter of King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, married Viscount Lascelles (heir to the Harewood earldom) in 1922, her wedding present haul was massive. Among the gifts was this enormous diamond scroll tiara, which could be worn with either a diamond or a sapphire central element. (Some have posited that the sapphire piece was actually one of the copies of the Prince Albert Brooch.) When Mary died in 1965, almost all of her jewels were sold at auction. The tiara fetched about £10,000, and the sapphire alone was sold for an additional £10,500.

5. The Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara

Every time I look at Queen Elizabeth II’s Burmese Ruby Tiara, I growl a little internally, because it was made with diamonds taken from this glittering Cartier diadem. The ’30s-era floral tiara, which included three removable brooch elements, was the Queen’s wedding gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was dismantled in 1973 by Garrard to create the (in my opinion, subpar) diamond and ruby tiara that the Queen wears today. (At least the necklace survives.)



4. The Rosenborg Kokoshnik

There aren’t many tiaras around that feature garnets, wonderfully rich and varied semiprecious gemstones, and there are even fewer that are lovely, balanced garnet, pearl, and diamond kokoshniks. This tiara was commissioned in the 1930s by Prince Viggo, the son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark, for his American-born wife, Eleanor. Viggo and Eleanor didn’t have children, so the tiara ended up with their nephew, Count Flemming of Rosenborg. His wife wore it at several major royal events in Denmark and Norway. The family sold the piece in May 2014 at Sotheby’s for more than $275,000.

3. The Poltimore Tiara

It was only owned by one royal woman, but the enormous diamond Poltimore Tiara has become a favorite among royal jewel lovers. Princess Margaret purchased it herself and then wore it at her wedding in 1960. The tiara was the perfect complement to her ’60s beehive, but after her death, her children had to sell it to help pay estate taxes. It fetched an astonishing $1.7 million in the 2006 auction at Christie’s.

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2. Queen Elisabeth’s Cartier Bandeau

Once upon a time, the royal vaults in Belgium held more tiaras than they do today. One of the most sparkling of all of the old pieces was the diamond and platinum bandeau created by Cartier for Queen Elisabeth, wife of King Albert I. Elisabeth often wore the piece low across her forehead in ’20s style; later, her daughter-in-law, Princess Lilian, wore it more traditionally. Lilian’s sister was married to Jean-Jacques Cartier, and in 1987, she sold the tiara back to the firm — a decision that apparently caused some problems within the family. Nevertheless, Cartier’s acquisition of the tiara means that you actually can still see this one today, as it’s often included in exhibitions.

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1. Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Gift Tiara

For years, royal watchers hoped that this tiara (often called the “Rundell” tiara because of confusion about its maker) was simply hidden away in the vaults at Buckingham Palace — but alas, that’s not the case. The piece was a part of the suite of jewels ordered by King Edward VII from Garrard as a wedding present for his bride, Alexandra of Denmark, in 1863. The Queen still owns the necklace and brooch from the set, but Alexandra left the tiara to another branch of her family; her unmarried daughter, Princess Victoria, who unfortunately “disposed” of the piece, according to Hugh Roberts’s The Queen’s Diamonds.