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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

State Visit Tiaras in Norway

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The Norwegian royal family welcomed the President and First Lady of Iceland to Oslo on Tuesday, and they brought out some big jewels for the occasion.

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For the morning events on the first day of the visit, Queen Sonja wore one of her many sets of ultra-modern jewelry. This suite includes a necklace and earrings.

BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images

Here’s a look at Sonja’s entire outfit for the welcome events.

BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images

Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore a pair of springy pendant earrings for the official photos.

BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images

And Princess Astrid wore mostly simple gold jewelry — with the exception of the cherry brooch pinned to her left shoulder!

For the evening’s banquet, the ladies brought out the tiaras. (The photos that follow are embedded; refresh as needed.)

Queen Sonja wore one of the family’s big sparklers: the full version of (the replica of) Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara. (Read about the famous theft of the original tiara over here.)

Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore her wedding tiara. I think the tiara-wearer match here is just about perfect, as always: M-M loves a sleek, cool look, and this tiara fits the bill. But I don’t like it nearly as much when it’s worn as a headband.

Princess Astrid went for one of her wackier sparklers: the diamond wing aigrette. (Read about this, and all of the other tiaras in the Norwegian collection, over here!)

Mourning Jewels: Funeral of Prince Richard

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Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

The life of Prince Richard, head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark, was celebrated today in Bad Berleburg. Members from many royal families gathered to remember the late prince.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Princess Benedikte wore a gorgeous diamond and pearl scroll brooch with a pearl pendant. The brooch, which resembles a heart, was given to Benedikte by her mother, Queen Ingrid, following the birth of Prince Gustav in 1969. Benedikte wore the brooch for the first official photos of the baby prince. Bjarne Steen Jensen writes that the brooch belonged to Ingrid’s mother, Margaret of Connaught. I’ve also read, however, that the brooch came from Benedikte’s paternal grandparents, and was a gift from King Christian X of Denmark to his wife, Queen Alexandrine.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Benedikte’s elder daughter, Princess Alexandra, wore one of her mother’s diamond stars as a brooch. The set of stars originally belonged to Queen Victoria of Sweden, Benedikte’s great-grandmother. Alexandra’s daughter, Countess Ingrid von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, also appears to be wearing a diamond bar brooch.

Princess Nathalie, Benedikte’s younger daughter, borrowed her mother’s diamond bow brooch. She also wore earrings set with blue gemstones.

Carina Axelsson, the partner of Benedikte’s son, Prince Gustav, wore pearls.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Benedikte’s elder sister, wore a piece that I’m not familiar with: a blue enamel heart brooch surrounded by a border of diamonds. The center of the brooch appears to be decorated with a royal cypher. It resembles Queen Ingrid’s cypher as well as those of two of her predecessors, Queen Louise and Queen Lovisa.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore the small round diamond brooch that’s said to have been a gift from her father-in-law, Prince Henrik.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Princess Marie of Denmark wore pearls, including her small diamond and pearl flower brooch.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Queen Anne-Marie, Benedikte’s younger sister, wore a four-stranded pearl necklace, plus diamond and pearl earrings. She also wore an interesting ring on her right hand. Her younger daughter, Princess Theodora, also attended but wore no jewelry of note.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

The Norwegian royal family was represented by Princess Martha Louise, who wore classic earrings.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Queen Silvia of Sweden wore pearls with a modern, monochrome floral brooch.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

She was accompanied by her daughter, Princess Madeleine, who is also Benedikte’s goddaughter. She wore a simple pair of stud earrings.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

A trio of Dutch royals also attended the funeral. Queen Maxima wore diamond and pearl earrings with a pearl necklace (which features a central, pave-set bead).

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Maxima also wore a trio of bracelets; the lower two feature the names and initials of her husband and children.

Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images

Princess Beatrix accompanied Willem-Alexander and Maxima to Bad Berleburg. She wore multi-colored pearls with large earrings, a pair of slender bracelets, and her diamond engagement ring.