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Birthday Jewels for Princess Benedikte

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The Danish royal family dressed to the nines on Monday to celebrate the birthday of a beloved sister, mother, and aunt at at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark threw a gala dinner in honor of the birthday of her younger sister, Princess Benedikte, who celebrated her 75th birthday on Monday.

MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Benedikte reached for sentimental pieces of jewelry inherited from various family members for the dinner. Her diamond earrings are a legacy from her mother, the late Queen Ingrid of Denmark, while her necklace is part of the grand diamond sautoir that belonged to her grandmother, the late Queen Alexandrine. (More on that necklace here!) Her floral brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, was a gift from her father, the late King Frederik IX.

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Queen Margrethe chose shades of purple for her sister’s birthday dinner.

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She paired pearls with gorgeous amethyst and gold earrings, plus a carved hair comb.

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Queen Anne-Marie, the youngest of the three Danish royal sisters, wore pieces from the former Greek royal family’s ruby set. (More on that parure here!)

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Benedikte’s nephew and niece, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, were also in attendance for the celebration.

MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Like Anne-Marie, Mary wore family rubies for the occasion. (Learn more about the fascinating Danish royal rubies here!)

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Here’s a better view of the ruby bracelet on her right wrist.

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Benedikte’s daughters, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, also attended the dinner. Alexandra wore silver-toned jewelry with her coral-colored dress, including an intriguing leaf-shaped brooch. Nathalie chose golden jewels, including a prominent brooch. The sisters were escorted by Alexandra’s new partner, Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille. He’s a Danish noble, a longtime family friend — and, conveniently, Princess Benedikte’s godson.

This Week in Royal Jewels: April 12-18

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April 12-18, 2019
Pearls and diamonds shone this week in the world of royal jewels — don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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15. For the Royal Maundy service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on Thursday, Princess Eugenie of York wore a simple pair of hoop earrings.

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14. Queen Rania of Jordan wore a bright pendant necklace on Wednesday as she toured the Jabal Al-Luweibdeh neighborhood of Amman.
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13. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore her usual daytime pearls — but no brooch! — for the racing at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday. (Which brooch would you have paired with this outfit?)
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12. On Tuesday, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wore blue stud earrings as she celebrated her 79th birthday in Aarhus.
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11. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore pearl drop earrings to celebrate her mother-in-law’s birthday on Tuesday.
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10. On Thursday, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore bold black statement earrings for an event with the National Institute for Budget Information in Utrecht.
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9. Empress Michiko of Japan wore silver jewels for a visit to Kodomonokuni, a children’s amusement park, on Friday. (More here!)
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8. On Saturday, Empress Michiko wore a floral brooch with pearls, including a lovely station necklace, to view the imperial carriage at a department store in Tokyo. (More here!)
PATRICK VAN KATWIJK/AFP/Getty Images
7. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands also chose a pearl station necklace as she visited an exhibition of work by Ad Dekkers in Bergeijk on Saturday.
PATRICK VAN KATWIJK/AFP/Getty Images
6. Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands made a statement with bold silver jewelry for the King’s Day Concert in Amersfoort on Monday. (More over here!)
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5. Empress Michiko wore pearls and a silver brooch as she embarked with the Emperor on a visit to the Ise Jingu shrine on Wednesday.
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4. On Thursday, Empress Michiko wore pearls and a gorgeous diamond brooch after the imperial visit to the Ise Jingu shrine.
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3. Amethysts, diamonds, and pearls were Princess Beatrix’s accessories of choice for Monday evening’s King’s Day concert. (More here!)
PATRICK VAN KATWIJK/AFP/Getty Images
2. Queen Maxima dazzled in diamond earrings from the grand Stuart Tiara for the King’s Day Concert on Monday. (Much more, including close-ups, over here!)
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1. The Australian Wattle Brooch sparkled on Queen Elizabeth II for the Royal Maundy Service in Windsor on Thursday. (More on the Queen’s Royal Maundy brooches over here!)

Coronation Brooch Heading for New Home

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Last summer, we discussed the possible fate of one of Princess Elisabeth of Denmark’s grandest jewels: the Russian Coronation Brooch that belonged to her great-grandmother, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna. Now we know where it’s headed!

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Wikimedia Commons)

The brooch, which was made by Fabergé, was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia to celebrate their coronation in 1896. The firm constructed the brooch out of gold and set it with 137 diamonds, including two that measured more than 6 carats. Eighteen were made and presented to the grand duchesses attending the festivities. One of them, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, was the mother of the Queen Alexandrine of Denmark. Alexandrine inherited the brooch in 1922.

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The brooch was bequeathed by Alexandrine to her son and daughter-in-law, Hereditary Prince Knud and Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde. In turn, they passed the brooch along to their only daughter, Princess Elisabeth. She wore the brooch often at grand gala events in Denmark until her death in 2018. In her will, she bequeathed the important brooch to the Danish Royal Collection, to be housed at the Amalienborg Museum.

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The acquisition was revealed in the royal collection’s annual report, which was recently shared at the Royal Jewels of the World Message Board. Along with the brooch, she also left other items to the royal collection, including a bracelet decorated with portraits of King Frederik VIII and Queen Lovisa. The report highlights the significance of the brooch — only three of the original eighteen are still known to exist — and its links to the Russian imperial heritage of the Danish royal family. The brooch will reportedly go on display at Amalienborg some time later this year.