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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

State Visit Jewels: Elizabeth II in Germany (Part 2)

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The German state visit continued this week with even more brooches on display. Let’s dig in!

The second full day of the state visit started off with engagements in Frankfurt. The Queen wore another brooch that we recently saw at Royal Ascot: the diamond and emerald shamrock brooch that many believe was a gift from the Sultan of Oman.

Back in Berlin for a garden party at the British ambassador’s residence, the Queen wore another repeat brooch from the French state visit: her mother’s diamond and ruby floral spray brooch.

On Friday, the Queen greeted members of the public near the famous Brandenberg Gate in Berlin. With her yellow coat, she wore another brooch from the set of four believed to have been gifted by the Sultan of Oman: the diamond brooch in the shape of daffodils.

For their final official engagement of the state visit, the Queen and Prince Philip laid a wreath at the Bergen-Belsen memorial. On her gray outfit, she pinned the floral brooch made for her by Bronte Porcelain, one of the brooches that made its public debut in 2014. She wore the same brooch and outfit for her flight back to the UK. And that’s it for the British/German state visit of 2015!

State Visit Jewels: Elizabeth II in Germany (Part 1)

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I’m exhausted just thinking about the Queen’s work schedule, and I’m nearly sixty years younger than she is! After a jam-packed week of events in Britain, Elizabeth and Philip jetted off to Germany for a state visit. Let’s have a look at the jewels from their first two days on German soil.

When the Queen deplaned in Berlin, she arrived wearing a major British heirloom jewel that was a gift from a German prince. The Albert Brooch, which features a large sapphire ringed with diamonds, was given to Queen Victoria by her husband-to-be, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as a wedding present in 1840. The Queen wears it frequently, including an outing last week at Royal Ascot.

For the official welcome ceremony on Wednesday morning, the Queen repeated an outfit and jewels that she wore during the state visit to France last June. (The coat was also worn during the Diamond Jubilee pageant on the Thames.) The brooch, which is a floral design set with diamonds and made, I believe, of various colors of gold, was actually worn for the first time during that French state visit.

The state banquet on Wednesday evening was a combination of expected jewels and surprises. Just as she did on the 2014 French state visit — and as she does almost always these days — the Queen selected the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara for the dinner. (Read more about the intriguing timeline of this tiara’s history over here.) The tiara is sort of fitting for the occasion, however, as it was a wedding gift to a German princess (Mary of Teck) who was marrying a British prince.

But along with that very expected tiara, she also wore the necklace, earrings, and brooch of the crown ruby parure. We also saw this brooch last week at Royal Ascot — in fact, that was the first time she’d ever worn it in public! (Maybe Ascot was a sort of trial run for this visit? Who knows!) The crown rubies were designed in part by a German prince — again, Prince Albert — and were originally made to coordinate with Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet. The entire suite was originally set with opals and later changed to rubies.

There was also a secret bonus jewel on display! The Queen used the Emperor of Austria Brooch to secure the back of the sash of her German order, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This brooch was also especially appropriate for the visit, as it was a gift from Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria to the Duchess of Teck, Queen Mary’s mother, on the occasion of the christening of Prince Francis of Teck in 1870. The brooch also has a collet chain and three pearl pendants, but that section is detachable, and the Queen is only wearing the large circular portion with its enormous central pearl.

The diamond “bracelet” on the Queen’s left wrist is actually her diamond evening wristwatch.

You can see above that her right wrist was bracelet-free. (You can also see the DoE’s impressive chest full of medals.)

He’s also wearing the star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the neck ribbon and badge of the Order of Merit.

State Visit Jewels: The Dutch Visit Denmark

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Big, glittering state visits from monarchy to monarchy are becoming rarer and rarer these days, but we’re in the midst of just such a visit! King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived yesterday in Copenhagen for a visit to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The entire Danish royal family gathered to welcome their Dutch counterparts, and there were some major jewels on display!

Queen Margrethe chose pearls to welcome her godson, King Willem-Alexander, to Denmark.

Here’s a better look at Daisy’s earrings (and her hat!).

Queen Maxima wore a bejeweled coat on her arrival in Copenhagen. Underneath the jacket, she wore a major piece of royal jewelry: a diamond and sapphire brooch that belonged to Queen Emma. That link also shows a better view of Maxima’s earrings.

They’re generational contemporaries, but now that Maxima is a queen consort, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has to curtsey to her.

Mary kept her jewelry fairly simple for the arrival ceremony. From the photos, it looks as if she’s wearing her Marianne Dulong gray pearl stud earrings. The brooch that Mary’s wearing isn’t familiar to me — at first, I wondered if it was a part of the coat, but the placement makes me think that it’s a separate piece. (If you have any info, please pipe up in the comments!)

Princess Marie can be seen standing behind Mary in the photo above; she also appears to be wearing a brooch pinned to her coat. (We’re also lacking in decent photos of Princess Benedikte, who attended the ceremony with Prince Richard; here’s one of the best shots I’ve seen.)

Things got even sparklier yesterday evening at the state banquet, held at Christiansborg Palace.

Queen Margrethe wore the Pearl Poiré Tiara, a German-made piece that has Dutch connections. In 1825, the Prussian king gave the tiara as a wedding present to his daughter, Louise, who was marrying Prince Frederik of the Netherlands. Their daughter, also named Louise, is one of Margrethe’s ancestors. Because of the tiara’s Dutch connections, you’ll sometimes see it called the Orange-Nassau Tiara.

The pearls that Margrethe wears with the tiara aren’t a part of a matching set. The necklace and earrings were a wedding gift to Queen Lovisa of Denmark in 1869 from the Khedive of Egypt; the brooch with drop pearls also belonged to Lovisa. Margrethe is also wearing the sash of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

Queen Maxima looked absolutely stunning in pieces from the Dutch sapphire parure, including the tiara that she wore in 2013 at her husband’s inauguration. (The dress is also a repeat from that event.) On this occasion, however, the tiara was slightly different from its 2013 appearance; additional diamonds were included above the central sapphire. Here’s a view of the tiara at the banquet from the front.

Maxima is also wearing sapphire and diamond earrings, as well as the large Dutch sapphire wing brooch and a diamond bracelet. She’s wearing the sash and star of the Order of the Elephant, a brand-new addition to her collection of orders.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary both received new orders during the visit as well: they’re both wearing the sash and star of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

Mary wore her diamond wedding tiara and her aquamarine girandole earrings. She’s also wearing Margrethe II’s family order.

New orders were also on the menu for Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, who received and wore the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Marie chose her usual tiara, Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, for the banquet. She also wore her mother-in-law’s family order, and she pinned the sash of her new Dutch order with a distinctive brooch.

Here’s the best view I’ve been able to find of Princess Benedikte at the banquet. She’s wearing the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara, a diamond necklace that belonged to her mother, and the Order of Orange-Nassau. I know that Princess Elisabeth of Denmark also attended the banquet, probably wearing her sapphire tiara, but I’ve not been able to find a single clear picture of her, sadly.

Which of the jewels worn during Day 1 of this state visit were your favorites?