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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Year in Review: The Tiaras of 2014

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It’s that time of year again, everyone — break out the champagne and settle in for yet another year in review post! Let’s make our new year extra sparkly by having a look at some of the tiaras worn by royal ladies in 2014, shall we?

The Danish Emerald Parure Tiara
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, New Year’s Levée

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, New Year’s Levée

Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara
Princess Marie of Denmark, New Year’s Levée
The Baden Palmette Tiara
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Diamond Wedding Tiara, Pearl Setting
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara
Princess Marie of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara
Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Turkish State Visit

The Antique Pearl Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Chinese State Visit

The Nine Provinces Tiara, Bandeau Setting
Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Chinese State Visit

The Vladimir Tiara, Emerald Setting
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Irish State Visit

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Order of the Bath Service

The Dutch Emerald Parure Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Monegasque Official Visit

The Greville Tiara
The Duchess of Cornwall, State Opening of Parliament

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, French State Visit

Queen Ena’s Fleur-de-Lys Tiara
Queen Sofia of Spain, Mexican State Visit

The Spanish Floral Tiara
The Princess of Asturias, Mexican State Visit

Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau Tiara
Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein, Wedding to Prince Amedeo of Belgium

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Singaporean State Visit

Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara, Diamond Setting
The Duchess of Gloucester, Guildhall Banquet

The Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Japanese State Visit

The Spanish Floral Tiara
Queen Letizia of Spain, Chilean Official Visit

The Shand-Cubitt Tiara
The Duchess of Cornwall, Diplomatic Reception

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara
Queen Silvia of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

The Baden Fringe Tiara
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

The Modern Fringe Tiara
Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Mirrored Tiara
Princess Kako of Akishino, Twentieth Birthday Audience

Suggestions for Santa: Jewel Gifts for Royal Ladies

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Santa has popped up in Monaco, which means that Christmas is officially upon us, everybody! For this Christmas Eve post, I’m summoning up all my clairvoyant powers and predicting which jewels certain royal ladies might receive from St. Nick. Or perhaps we could view this as suggestions for any royal spouses who still need to finish their shopping?

The Duchess of Cornwall has showed us that she can seriously rock a sapphire, such as the large sapphire and diamond pendant she wears above. And if you ask me, one thing her collection could use is another large tiara. So I’m hoping Santa brings her…

A big pearl, diamond, and sapphire mega-tiara — perhaps something like the Portland (pictured above)? She could wear the heck out of a piece like that, and it would give the Greville tiara a well-deserved night off.

Queen Letizia has also proved that she looks great in colorful gems, and I’d love to see another tiara added to her collection, too. How about…

A floral parure with sapphires (like the Barberini parure pictured above) or emeralds? Pretty sure she deserves it, especially for remaining serenely and regally above the fray as so many other members of the family are involved in scandal after scandal.

Crown Princess Mary’s collection is absolutely lousy with rubies and aquamarines, but I think she could use another substantial and colorful piece in her jewel repertoire. Maybe something like…

A gem-encrusted statement necklace, perhaps something like Elizabeth Taylor’s astonishing Bulgari diamond and emerald necklace?

Queen Mathilde is the shining star of the Belgian royal family, but as we’ve discussed so many times here before, her jewelry box is rather sparsely populated. A new tiara would certainly be welcome, but I’m thinking she’d also look good in something like…

A geometric statement necklace, like this example, which is studded with gray pearls that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.

What jewels would you like to see Santa drop off for the ladies of the world’s royal families this holiday season?

Royal Jewel Rewind: The Belgian Royal Wedding (1999)

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Fifteen years ago today, Belgium hosted its biggest royal wedding of the generation. Prince Philippe, heir to the throne, married speech therapist Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz on December 4 in Brussels. Today, they have four children, and they’re King and Queen of the Belgians. Let’s have a look back at the jewelry worn on their wedding day, shall we?

Mathilde borrowed her wedding tiara from her new mother-in-law, Queen Paola. It’s a diamond bandeau that once belonged to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium; Paola owns the piece personally. With her Edouard Vermeulen gown, Mathilde also wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings. She regularly wears the earrings at major royal events. (At this summer’s Belgian royal wedding, the bandeau tiara was worn by the bride, and Mathilde wore her wedding earrings.)

The mother of the groom, Queen Paola, wore pearl earrings and a diamond and pearl choker, plus a gorgeous floral brooch. King Albert II, who is having a really great time in the back, is wearing Belgium’s highest order of chivalry, the Order of Leopold. You’ll see the distinctive purple sash on lots of the men in the wedding photos.

Pearls were also the jewel of choice for the groom’s aunt, Queen Fabiola, although they’re a bit obscured by her jacket and fur. The hat is enormously glorious, perfect for Fabiola, whose hair has always been a little larger than life.

Princess Astrid, the groom’s sister, kept her jewelry fairly minimalist — it was 1999, after all — but I think I spy a brooch securing her fur wrap. Here’s a better view of her earrings.

Here are a few more ladies from the extended Belgian royal family — that’s King Albert’s sister-in-law, Princess Lea, on the left, and his younger sister, Princess Esmerelda, wearing the fur hat. Esmerelda isReally digging Esmerelda’s gold necklace.

King Albert II and the late Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg were also siblings, so of course, the family jetted over from the grand duchy for the day. Josephine-Charlotte wore pearls, including the double-drop brooch that’s one of my favorite pieces from the Luxembourg jewel collection.

Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, then the Hereditary Grand Duchess, went with large gold earrings and a major fur stole.

Because King Albert’s mother, Queen Astrid, was born a Swedish princess, the Belgians also have major family ties to the Scandinavian royals. Queen Silvia of Sweden wore pearls…

… and so did Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, although she also added a pair of interesting earrings and a molting bird.

You can sneak a peek of Queen Sofia of Spain here between Albert and Paola; she clearly also got the pearls-and-feathers memo.

Constantine and Anne-Marie of Greece also attended; Anne-Marie added a pearl bracelet to her outfit.

Kardam and Miriam of Bulgaria were there, too. It’s tough to tell, but it looks like Miriam’s wearing delicate gold jewels.

Princess Martha-Louise of Norway is an especially close cousin; her namesake grandmother and the groom’s grandmother were sisters. She’s on the ’90s minimalism train with her jewels, too.

The couple had a huge bridal party, wearing LOTS of red velvet.

Royals and family (and some of both)…

And the traditional giant royal wedding guest photo!