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The Best Royal Jewels of 2019: #1 (The Japanese Imperial Enthronement)

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KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images
And now, for the sparkliest royal jewelry moment of the year…
#1: The Japanese Imperial Enthronement

JAPAN POOL VIA JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images
We witnessed a once-in-a-generation series of celebrations in Japan this year, as Emperor Akihito celebrated thirty years on the Chrysanthemum throne, and then abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Naruhito.
Handout/Imperial Household Agency of Japan via Getty Images
A new imperial era dawned in May, when Emperor Naruhito officially ascended to the throne. He made his first speech as emperor in Tokyo in front of Empress Masako and the rest of the imperial family.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images
Empress Masako made her first appearance in the Meiji Tiara, an heirloom reserved for the use of the Japanese empress.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images
And her sister-in-law, Crown Princess Kiko, wore the family’s crown princely diamond parure for the first time as well.
Carl Court/Getty Images
A few days later, the imperial family greeted the public from the palace balcony, with brooches and pearls the empress and princesses.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
Shortly afterward, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted their first state visit, and Masako brought out a fantastic gold and diamond necklace during the state banquet.
KAZUHIRO NOGI/Pool/Getty Images
In October, we marveled at the pageantry at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo as Emperor Naruhito was officially enthroned.
Pool/Getty Images
The entire imperial family wore incredible ceremonial attire during the enthronement rite.
Koji Sasahara/Pool/Getty Images
And the numerous royals attending the ceremonies brought jewels with them from around the globe.
STR/Japan Pool via Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images
That night, the imperial family hosted the first of a series of enthronement banquets for their guests. Empress Masako was dripping in diamonds…
PIERRE EMMANUEL DELETREE/AFP via Getty Images
…and the foreign royal guests brought along their very best tiaras, too!
Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
In November, the festivities concluded with one more magnificent moment: a parade through the streets of Tokyo. Empress Masako again wore the heirloom diamonds of Japanese empresses. What an incredible imperial year it’s been!

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 22-27

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November 22-27, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! To celebrate, here’s this week’s royal jewelry review a day early! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
Pool/Getty Images
15. Queen Letizia of Spain wore gold hoops on Tuesday in Madrid for an awards ceremony honoring those working to stop domestic and gender-based violence.

Koninklijk Huis
14. On Tuesday, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore her shell earrings with a pearl ring as she spoke about initiatives for better access to financial services in Pakistan. 
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13. Princess Sofia of Sweden wore silver-toned earrings on Wednesday at the National Conference of Youth and Civil Society Issues in Stockholm.
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12. For the Alice Naylor-Leyland launch in London on Tuesday, Marie-Chantal of Greece wore a long necklace.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
11. The Duchess of Cornwall wore her favorite earrings — floral button-style studs with pearl drops — for a visit to the Battered Women’s Trust in Christchurch on Saturday during the tour of New Zealand.
Omar Marques/Getty Images
10. At the start of her official visit to Poland, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore pearl drop earrings and a pearl bracelet in Warsaw on Monday.
Victoria Jones – Pool Getty Images
9. Camilla wore a single strand of pearls with a golden brooch (featuring entwined diamond ornaments and a crown) for a literacy event at Turanga Library in Christchurch on Friday.
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8. Queen Sofia of Spain wore golden pearls on Friday for a poetry gala in Madrid.
7. Empress Masako of Japan wore pearls, including a lovely brooch, with a golden ensemble as she returned to Tokyo on Saturday following a visit to the Ise Shrine in Nagoya. (See another view of the jewels here!)
6. For a visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu in Kashihara on Wednesday, Empress Masako was elegant in gray with silver and pearl jewels. (See another view of the jewels here!)
Kongehuset
5. Crown Princess Mary paired floral earrings with a lovely velvet dress for a concert at the Danish Cultural Institute in Warsaw.
4. Reaching back for an event from last week, Empress Masako (in a gorgeous double strand of pearls and a lovely brooch) led the ladies of the imperial family at the great thanksgiving ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, part of the imperial enthronement rituals. (See more of her jewels here!)
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Princess Grace Foundation – USA
3. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (pictured with one of her Kelly cousins, the actress Ginna Le Vine) wore dazzling earrings and a statement ring at the 2019 Princess Grace Awards Gala in New York on Monday.
TOLGA AKMEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
2. On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore the cluster portion of the Cambridge Emerald Brooch for a tour of the new headquarters of the Royal Philatelic Society in London. (See the brooch with its emerald pendant here!)
CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images
1. Late last Thursday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians dazzled in Queen Fabiola’s pearl drop earrings, plus a diamond floral brooch, to accept a Bambi Award in Baden-Baden.