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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Tiaras in Luxembourg and the Netherlands

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Photo: Cour grand-ducale/Marc Schmit
We’re having quite the tiara-filled week here at the blog — first Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Germany, and now tiaras from the royal families of Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Let’s start with a look at the sparklers from the National Day Gala in Luxembourg, shall we?
Photo: Cour grand-ducale/Marc Schmit
For this year’s gala, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa selected a tiara that belonged to her late mother-in-law: the Belgian Scroll Tiara. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie chose one of my favorites from the entire Luxembourg collection, the Grand Duchess Adelaide Tiara.

Photo: Cour grand-ducale/Marc Schmit
Princess Claire, one of the newest members of the family, wore a brand new bandeau tiara, plus a gorgeous suite of ruby and diamond jewels.
Photo: Cour grand-ducale/Marc Schmit
Bandeau tiaras were also on the menu for the other princesses at the gala. Princess Tessy, wife of Prince Louis, wore pieces from the family’s amethyst and pearl parure, while Princess Alexandra selected the citrine and pearl bandeau. (You can view more photos and read more about the entire National Day celebration over at Luxarazzi! More photos from the events are also available at the cour’s website.)

In the Netherlands, the royal ladies donned tiaras for a diplomatic reception. In an interesting twist, Queen Maxima and her mother-in-law, Princess Beatrix, swapped wedding tiaras. Maxima wore the Wurttemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara that was worn by Beatrix on her wedding day, while Beatrix stepped out for the first time in the diamond star tiara worn by Maxima at her wedding in 2002.

One more Dutch princess was photographed at the reception: Princess Margriet, who wore the pearl setting of the family’s emerald parure tiara.

Battle of Waterloo Anniversary Commemorations

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This week, royals from Europe have been remembering the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, in which a coalition of soldiers from Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army. The battle took place in present-day Belgium, although at the time the land was Dutch territory.

On Wednesday, royals attended a re-opening ceremony at Hougoumont Farm, a key location in the battle. As she often does when attending military events, the Duchess of Cornwall wore the badge of the Lancers, the regiment that her father, Major Bruce Shand, fought with during World War II. Camilla paired the badge with her usual diamond and pearl earrings and a three-stranded pearl necklace.

The Belgian king was represented at Hougoumont by his sister, Princess Astrid. She wore a pair of coral-colored earrings with her pink tweed jacket.

Astrid’s cousin, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, attended the ceremony with his wife, Stéphanie. Given the photographs from the event, though, I’m not completely sure that the photographers knew who they were. Courtesy Luxarazzi, we have a link to clearer photos of the pair, where you can see Stéphanie wearing a pendant necklace.

Guillaume and Stéphanie also visited Laeken Palace in Belgium on Wednesday, where they met with Prince Napoleon, a descendant of the family that lost the battle.

Prince Pieter-Christiaan, a cousin of the Dutch king, was also on hand to represent the Netherlands.

Here’s the entire group at Laeken with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. Those pictured also include the Marquess and Marchioness of Douro and Lord Frederick Wellesley, descendants of the 1st Duke of Wellington, and descendants of Gerhard von Blücher.

On Thursday, the Brits attended a service at St. Paul’s commemorating the battle. Camilla wore her diamond and pearl earrings, her pearl choker with the round diamond clasp, and the cap badge of the Rifles.

One of the major heroes of Waterloo was the Duke of Wellington, and his descendant, the 9th Duke, was also on hand for the St. Paul’s service. His wife, the Duchess of Wellington, wore pearl earrings and a lovely, geometric diamond brooch.

The Duchess of Gloucester also attended the St. Paul’s service, but I’ve yet to find a clear image of her jewelry.

Back in Belgium, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde led the royal parade at the official government ceremony recognizing the anniversary.

Mathilde wore a pair of earrings that she’s had in her collection for sometime: a modern pair set with both white and yellow diamonds.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was elegant in gray, wearing a glittering pair of earrings with the long gray pearl brooch from the Dutch royal collection.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg also wore gray, accessorizing with pearl earrings and a long necklace studded with gray and white pearls.

Stay tuned tomorrow afternoon for more Waterloo commemoration events — including tiaras!

Royal Jewel Rewind: Princess Madeleine’s Wedding (2013)

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Note: From Friday, June 5 until Sunday, June 14, I will be traveling and will be away from my computer. For notes about how this will affect the blog, especially commenting, visit here!
Let’s get into the Swedish royal wedding spirit with a look back at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, everybody! Madeleine married Christopher O’Neill two years ago this week, with white tie and tiaras galore. (If you missed yesterday’s look at their pre-wedding dinner, click here!)

On her wedding day, Princess Madeleine borrowed her mother’s Modern Fringe Tiara, wearing it with orange blossoms arranged at the tiara’s base. She also wore the Vasa earrings, historic pieces of Swedish royal heirloom jewelry.

On her left wrist, Madeleine wore one of the family’s diamond bracelets.

The gown was designed by Valentino. The groom also received a new bit of bling: the Order of the Polar Star, the second highest-ranking order of chivalry in Sweden.

The mother-of-the bride wore jewelry that reminded all gathered that she was, indeed, the Queen of Sweden. Silvia donned Queen Sofia’s Tiara (also sometimes called the “Nine-Prong”) with diamond earrings, a diamond riviere with a pendant stone, and the diamond floral brooch from the Brazilian parure. She also wore the Order of the Seraphim and her husband’s family order.

In memory of her late great-aunt, Princess Lilian, Crown Princess Victoria wore the tiara that Lilian bequeathed to her: the Boucheron Laurel Wreath Tiara, which was given to Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden as a wedding present by Queen Sofia. The tiara can also be worn as a necklace, but Victoria chose another heirloom necklace for the wedding: the one created by modifying a stomacher that had belonged to Joséphine of Leuchtenberg. Victoria also wore diamond earrings, diamond bracelets, a diamond rosette brooch, the Order of the Seraphim, and her father’s family order. Her best accessory, though, was probably the adorable Princess Estelle!

Royal girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist, who will become Princess Sofia of Sweden on Saturday, wore a pair of golden earrings with a leaf motif for the wedding.

The king’s sisters were all at the wedding as well. Princess Margaretha wore the Baden Fringe Tiara with diamond earrings and a diamond necklace, plus the Order of the Seraphim and her brother’s family order.

Princess Birgitta wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara, plus diamond earrings, diamond bracelets, and the sapphire and diamond necklace that belonged to her mother, Princess Sibylla. She’s also wearing the Order of the Seraphim and her brother’s family order.

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Princess Désirée, the king’s third sister, wore the Napoleonic Cut-Steel Tiara, pairing it with diamond earrings and a coordinating diamond (and pink topaz?) brooch. She also wore the Order of the Seraphim and her brother’s family order.

The king’s fourth sister, Princess Christina, wore the family’s Diamond Six-Button Tiara with pearl and diamond jewelry. She’s also wearing the Order of the Seraphim and her brother’s family order.

Princess Désirée of Hohenzollern, Princess Birgitta’s daughter, wore a diamond necklace with the pearl tiara that Birgitta received from her grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden.

Vicky, the girlfriend (now wife) of Princess Christina’s son, Gustaf Magnuson, wore a gorgeous pair of pendant earrings.

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Countess Gunnila Bernadotte af Wisborg, the widow of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte af Wisborg, wore her diamond aigrette tiara with pearls.

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Countess Marianne Bernadotte af Wisborg, the widow of Count Sigvard Bernadotte af Wisborg, wore her amethyst and gold parure.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway wore her mother-in-law’s amethyst parure with the Order of the Polar Star.

Mette-Marit’s sister-in-law, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, wore the small version of Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara, plus a demi-parure set with either sapphires or tanzanites. She also wore the Order of the Polar Star.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark donned the tiara from the Midnight Parure, a pair of diamond earrings, the Order of the Polar Star, and her mother-in-law’s family order.

Princess Marie of Denmark wore her usual sparkler: Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara. She also wore diamond earrings. She doesn’t have a Swedish order, so she wore her highest Danish order, the Order of the Elephant, plus her mother-in-law’s family order.

Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, one of Madeleine’s godparents, wore the star and pearl tiara that once belonged to Queen Sofia of Sweden. She also wore a set of diamond stars that belonged to Queen Victoria of Sweden, a diamond necklace that belonged to Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, and pearl earrings. She’s wearing the Order of the Polar Star, plus her father’s family order and the ribbon and badge of the Order of the Dannebrog. (Note: the man walking beside Benedikte isn’t her husband, Prince Richard; it’s Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, first cousin of the Swedish king.)

Marie-Chantal of Greece and Denmark wore her daughter’s diamond fringe tiara, plus diamond earrings, a long delicate necklace, and the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (her highest Greek order, as she doesn’t have a Swedish order).

Tatiana of Greece and Denmark borrowed her mother-in-law’s Antique Corsage Tiara, pairing it with her diamond wedding earrings, a small diamond brooch, and the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia.

Theodora of Greece and Denmark borrowed a diamond tiara from her sister, Alexia. She also wore diamond and pearl pendant earrings, a small diamond and pearl brooch, and the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia.

The Countess of Wessex borrowed an aquamarine tiara from her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II. She paired it with diamond earrings, a round diamond and aquamarine brooch, the Royal Victorian Order (her highest British order, as she doesn’t have a Swedish order), and Elizabeth II’s family order.

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg wore the family’s suite of pearl and citrine jewelry for the first time at the wedding. Because she doesn’t have a Swedish order, she wore her highest Luxembourgish order, the Order of Adolphe of Nassau. (The citrines and the blue order sash also helpfully echoed the colors of the Swedish flag!)

Say it with me, everybody: Princess Charlene wore no jewelry. Maybe they forgot to pack her jewel case?

Princess Takamado, on the other hand, wore a delightful suite of matching pearl and diamond jewelry, including a tiara, a necklace, a pair of earrings, and two bracelets. Hisako doesn’t have a Swedish order, so she wore her highest Japanese order, the Order of the Precious Crown.

Princess Anna of Bavaria wore a tiara that reportedly belongs to her own family, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburgs, plus diamond earrings and a necklace with a vivid purple-pink gemstone.

Hereditary Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wore the family’s antique turquoise and diamond tiara at the wedding, plus small earrings and the Ducal Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Order, which was revived by Kelly’s father-in-law in 2006.

The mother of the groom, Eva O’Neill, kept her jewelry simple, choosing a fascinator instead of a tiara and wearing (relatively) small diamond earrings.

Eva’s daughters, however, donned tiaras. Tatjana d’Abo wore a small diamond bandeau with a floral motif.

And Countess Natascha of Abensberg-Traun wore a delicate diamond meander bandeau with simple diamond earrings and an elaborate bracelet.



That’s it for our look back at Princess Madeleine’s wedding! Stay tuned for more Swedish jewels this week, and click here to read all of our posts about the upcoming royal wedding!