There are tiaras, and then there are pieces of art worn on the head. Today’s sparkler, the Golden Poppies owned by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, definitely falls into the “sculptural art piece” category.

Made in 1976 by Arje Griegst, and commissioned by Margrethe herself, this piece ticks all the “unusual tiara” boxes: it’s made of gold, it is incredibly modern, and it actually attaches at the back of the wearer’s head. In the detail photo above, you can see that a comb sinks into the wearer’s hair, allowing the poppies to trail forward toward the forehead. The effect means that the flowers are scattered across the head, rather than bunching together in the wreath shape we’re more accustomed to from floral tiaras. The flowers are studded with gems — including aquamarines, moonstones, and opals — and, well, insects. Nature! The piece is a part of a set that also features coordinating earrings and a necklace.

Photo: JENS NOERGAARD LARSEN/AFP/Getty Images

The individual pieces of the ornament are also detachable, which means that they can be worn scattered throughout the hair. Above, you can see one of them peeking out of Margrethe’s chignon at Frederik and Mary’s engagement dinner in 2003.

Ultimately, if there’s a more reviled piece in the tiara world than this one, I can’t think what it would be. But somehow it’s just about perfect for the flamboyant and theatrical Danish queen — after all, this is the woman who illustrated a Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings.

Even so, I’m skeptical that this piece will have staying power. Can you imagine the next Danish queen — Crown Princess Mary — wearing this one? I’m not sure I can picture her wearing it as-is. But the poppies here are detachable, and perhaps she might be able to use them in a different arrangement.

She’s the wife of a younger royal son, so she’ll never be queen, but Princess Marie of Denmark is very slowly building up a respectable jewelry collection. Along with an heirloom piece (Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara), Marie also has access to a brand-new diadem. Marie was instrumental in the design of this twenty-first century sparkler, the Flora Danica Tiara.

The tiara was made in 2011 by Danish jeweler Anja Blinkenberg for Flora Danica (hence the tiara’s name). With the input of Princess Marie, the tiara was designed with three silver and diamond lilies set atop a base of round amethyst stones, which are apparently Marie’s favorite gem.

Princess Marie of Denmark (Photo: Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

The lilies represent Marie, her husband, Prince Joachim, and their son, Prince Henrik. The tiara was made before the birth of the couple’s daughter, Princess Athena, and apparently an extra diamond was added to Marie’s lily to represent the baby princess. Supposedly, the tiara represents Joachim traveling to France, finding a “lily,” picking it, and taking it back with him to Denmark. As one does.

Just like Crown Princess Mary and the Midnight Tiara, Marie doesn’t actually own the Flora Danica. Instead, the company retains ownership of the piece while giving Marie the exclusive right to wear it. The tiara made its public debut at the Copenhagen Jewelry Fair in 2011, but it took three years for Marie to actually wear it in public. She finally debuted the tiara in March 2014 for a government diner. Unfortunately, it’s been back in the vault ever since. Here’s hoping we see it again soon!