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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: September 5-11

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September 5-11, 2014

The royals are back in full swing this week, making visits, attending seminars, and hosting audiences. All of these events gave the ladies a chance to show off their jewels. Which look of the week is your favorite?

10. One queen contemplated another as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark viewed a bust of Queen Nefertiti of Europe during a visit to Berlin on Wednesday. Margrethe chose a whimsical pair of golden earrings with colored center stones and a turtle-shaped brooch for the event, but let’s be honest, who can out-jewel an ancient Egyptian queen?

9. On the first day of her German visit, Margrethe wore a pair of floral earrings and a diamond and sapphire brooch in the shape of an anchor. The brooch was especially appropriate, as Margrethe was visiting a replica of a Viking ship. It’s also a piece with a long history; she’s been wearing it for decades, though I don’t believe its provenance is known.

8. In the Netherlands, Queen Maxima wore gold jewelry for a financial seminar on Thursday, including a gorgeous pair of golden butterfly brooches pinned to her shoulder.

7. On Tuesday, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore an absolutely stunning pair of pendant earrings set with bright blue stones while awarding a research prize at an art museum.

6. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway have been visiting Nordland this week. As many of the events were casual outdoor affairs, Mette-Marit wore minimal jewelry, but Wednesday’s event gave us a glimpse of shiny stud earrings and a less-shiny bracelet.

5. On Monday, Queen Letizia wore her diamond and pearl pendant earrings to welcome President Varela of Panama to Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

4. For the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games on Wednesday, the Duchess of Cornwall wore her pearl choker with the all-diamond clasp. (She also wore the same necklace the following day at a memorial service for her brother, Mark Shand.) Appropriately for the Games, she also wore the cap badge of The Rifles pinned to her jacket.

3. Pearls were Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden’s jewel of choice on Tuesday while attending the celebrations for the Kammarkollegiet’s 475th anniversary at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

2. The Swedes went for higher-octane glitter on Monday at a dinner for the World Childhood Foundation. Crown Princess Victoria wore a sparkling hair ornament and earrings, while Madeleine chose dramatic black and silver earrings and Silvia wore a large pendant necklace.

1. The Danish royals (sans Frederik, who is in Britain for the Invictus Games) brought out some glamorous accessories on Thursday at a dinner for the Red Cross at Fredensborg Palace. Queen Margrethe wore pearls, while Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie both chose large cuff bracelets. Mary also wore dramatic feather earrings.

This Week in Royal Jewels: July 25-31

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July 25-31, 2014
As we begin the month of August, the royals have slowed down and started their summer holidays. This month, we’ll be looking at the top five jewel stories of the week — but we’ve still got some sparkle close at hand!


5. With most of the Windsors gathered in Glasgow, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have been heading out to other parts of the UK. On Wednesday, they visited the Sandringham Flower Show, and Camilla added a bit of glitter to her outfit courtesy her sparkling butterfly brooch. She’s been wearing the brooch since at least 2006; it appears to be made of diamonds and sapphires.

4. The butterfly wasn’t Camilla’s only brooch outing of the week; she wore a stylized floral brooch to have a pint in Rutland. (This picture was maybe my favorite of the entire week. FYI: Camilla is on my list of “top five royals to have a pint with.” Who are yours?)

3. In Scotland, the Countess of Strathearn kept her jewelry simple while watching the athletics competition at the Commonwealth Games: citrine earrings by Kiki McDonough, a necklace with a set of Asprey pendant charms, her famous engagement ring, plus her wedding ring and her diamond eternity band, and what looks to be yet another of the rainbow bracelets that children often give to royals during walkabouts these days.

2. Princess Charlene of Monaco added a new foreign order to her small (but growing) collection this week, when she was officially made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Italy.

1. She may not be the reigning queen consort any longer, but Queen Sofia of Spain is still very much the matriarch of the family. In Palma de Mallorca this week, she wore delicate jewelry while taking her grandchildren to sailing school.

This Week in Royal Jewels: July 18-24

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July 18-24, 2014
This week’s jewelry recap sees our favorite royals in full summertime mode: gathering with their families, opening athletic competitions, and making trips to Paris. Ooh-la-la!



10. A match made in heaven: elegant Queen Letizia of Spain and the City of Light. Felipe and Letizia made an introductory visit to France this week, and Letizia accessorized her dress with a pair of gorgeous earrings. (See more pictures of the visit at The Royal Roundup!)

9. In a new family portrait released to mark the first birthday of her son, the Duchess of Cambridge wears a pair of familiar earrings: pearl drops by Annoushka, suspended from a pair of diamond hoop earrings by Kiki McDonough.

8. The tragic crash of a commercial airplane carrying nearly 200 Dutch citizens led to a week of mournful remembrance in the Netherlands. Queen Maxima wore white, a traditional color of mourning for the Dutch royals, to sign a book of condolence on Friday. Although her jewelry was still to a normal Maxima-esque scale, its dark colors also reflected the nation’s somber mood.

7. In Denmark, the royals posed on Thursday during their annual summer photosession at Grasten Palace. Queen Margrethe’s jewelry included a large floral brooch.

6. Crown Princess Mary went a bit simpler with her summer jewels for the photocall, wearing a delicate gold necklace. (Also appearing in front of the photographers were the other senior Danish royal ladies, Princess Marie and Princess Benedikte. More photographs at The Royal Roundup!)

5. Queen Letizia was also out and about in Spain this week, donning her headband with small sparkling stars and coordinating stud earrings for a reception at El Pardo Palace on Monday.

4. Wednesday was the opening ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the British royals were out in force. The Countess of Wessex wore a necklace and earrings from one of her favorite jewelry companies, Heavenly Necklaces.

3. The Duchess of Cornwall — who is the Duchess of Rothesay when she’s in Scotland — chose the earrings from her turquoise and diamond set for the opening of the Games. The earrings have an elaborate matching necklace, and the set is said to be one of her family heirlooms.

2. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Games wearing a floral brooch that we’ve seen her wear recently, during her state visit to France in June. (More photos of the royals at the opening ceremonies here!)

1. The Queen’s time at the Games didn’t end with the opening ceremonies. She made several appearances on Thursday, watching a swimming competition, meeting athletes, and even photobombing a Australian selfie! All the while, she was wearing very Scottish brooch: a diamond and yellow gold piece that features thistle flowers in its design.