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A Century of Swedish Royal Brides

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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!
For two centuries, the Bernadotte dynasty has reigned in Sweden, and the family has long had a tradition of grand royal weddings. Sofia Hellqvist will join the ranks of Sweden’s royal brides this weekend. Here’s how brides have married in the Swedish royal family from the early years of the twentieth century until today!
1905: Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (later King Gustaf VI Adolf) married Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The pair met and fell in love in Cairo, and the Khedive of Egypt sent a romantic diamond tiara to the couple as a wedding gift. They would have five children before Margaret’s untimely death at the age of 38.


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1923: The widowed Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden wedded a second British bride, marrying Lady Louise Mountbatten (who was born Princess Louise of Battenberg) at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace. In 1950, they became King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden. They remained married until Louise’s death in 1965.
1926: Princess Astrid of Sweden, the third daughter of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg, married the Duke of Brabant (later King Leopold III of Belgium) in two ceremonies: a civil wedding in Stockholm, and a religious wedding in Brussels. At the civil ceremony, she wore a traditional Swedish myrtle crown perched atop her veil. Her wedding gifts included the iconic Nine Provinces Tiara. Like Margaret of Connaught, Astrid sadly died young, perishing in a car accident before her 30th birthday.

1929: In Oslo, Princess Märtha of Sweden, the second daughter of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg, married a fellow Scandinavian royal: Crown Prince Olav of Norway (later King Olav V). Theirs was the first royal wedding in Norway in more than three centuries. Like her sister, Märtha wore a traditional myrtle crown on her wedding day. She and Olav had three children, including the current Norwegian king, Harald V, and weathered World War II before her death from cancer in 1954.
1932: Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, the eldest son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Margaret of Connaught, married a German princess, Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Both were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The civil and religious wedding ceremonies both took place in her native Coburg. The couple had five children, including the current Swedish king, Carl XVI Gustaf, before his death in a plane crash in 1947.
1935: Princess Ingrid of Sweden, the only daughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Margaret of Connaught, married the heir to the Danish throne, Crown Prince Frederik (later King Frederik IX) in Stockholm. To remember her late mother, Ingrid’s father gave her a large diamond daisy brooch set with stones that had belonged to Margaret. Ingrid had inherited the Khedive of Egypt tiara, which has become the traditional bridal tiara for all of her female descendants. Frederik and Ingrid became the Danish king and queen in 1947, and they remained married until his death in 1972.
1961: Princess Birgitta of Sweden, the second daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern in two ceremonies: a civil wedding in Stockholm, and a religious wedding in the groom’s native Germany. Birgitta became the first Bernadotte princess to wear the Cameo Tiara on her wedding day. Johann Georg and Birgitta are still legally married today, though they separated twenty-five years ago and have lived apart for decades.
1964: Princess Désirée of Sweden, the third daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, wore the Cameo Tiara to wed a Swedish aristocrat, Baron Nils-August Silfverschiöld, at Stockholm’s grand cathedral. Because she married a commoner, Désirée lost her royal status and her place in the Swedish line of succession; her new title was Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld. She and Nils-August have three children, and they’re still married today.

1964: Princess Margaretha of Sweden, the eldest daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, married John Ambler, a British businessman, at the Gärdslösa Church on the island of Öland. Rather than wearing a tiara, she opted to use the church’s traditional bridal crown. Like her sister, she lost her royal status and her place in the line of succession after marrying a commoner, and she’s now known as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler. After having three children together, the couple separated, but they never divorced. Ambler died in 2008.

1974: Princess Christina of Sweden, the youngest daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, married Swedish businessman Tord Magnuson in Stockholm. To honor her mother, who had recently died, Christina wore Sibylla’s favorite tiara: the Connaught Diamond Tiara, which had been one of Margaret of Connaught’s wedding gifts in 1905. Christina lost her royal status and her place in the line of succession, becoming Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson. The couple have three children and live in Sweden.

1976: King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, married German translator Silvia Sommerlath, who became Sweden’s queen on her wedding day. Silvia wore the Cameo Tiara at her wedding, following in the footsteps of two of her sisters-in-law. Carl Gustaf and Silvia have reigned in Sweden for four decades; they have three children and two grandchildren.
1976: Prince Bertil of Sweden, the fourth son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and Margaret of Connaught, was finally able to marry his longtime partner, Lilian Craig, after receiving permission from his nephew, King Carl XVI Gustaf. The two had remained unmarried so that Bertil could retain his royal status, in the event that he’d needed to step in as regent for the young Carl Gustaf. Bertil and Lilian married at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, and she became Princess Lilian of Sweden. They remained married until his death in 1997. Lilian died in 2013.

2010: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, married Daniel Westling in a grand ceremony in Stockholm. Like her mother, she wore the family’s Cameo Tiara. Although Daniel was a commoner, the marriage was approved by the king; the groom became Prince Daniel of Sweden on his wedding day. The two now have a young daughter, Princess Estelle, who will one day be Sweden’s queen.
2013: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, married British-American businessman Christopher O’Neill in Stockholm. Madeleine wore her mother’s Modern Fringe Tiara on her wedding day. She did not lose her royal status or her place in the line of succession even though she married a commoner; Chris O’Neill did not receive a title. They have one daughter, Princess Leonore of Sweden, and Madeleine is expecting their second child.



Which Swedish royal bride’s gown was your favorite? Do you prefer the traditional Cameo Tiara, or some of the more unconventional tiara choices?

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!

Royal Jewel Rewind: Princess Madeleine’s Pre-Wedding Dinner (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!

With less than a week until the Swedish royal wedding in Scotland, let’s continue our look back to the most recent Bernadotte weddings. Two years ago today, Princess Madeleine married Chris O’Neill in a wedding that will likely resemble the one her brother celebrates this weekend. Tomorrow, we’ll examine the tiaras from Madeleine’s wedding; today, let’s have a look at the jewels worn the night before!

For the pre-wedding dinner hosted by her parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Madeleine wore a gorgeous, glittering Elie Saab gown. She accessorized with dramatic earrings featuring an aquamarine drop.

Madeleine also wore one of the Bernadotte family’s diamond bracelets. (The green string you can see peeking out the diamonds is a Brazilian wish bracelet, designed to be worn until it falls off.)

Queen Silvia matched her jewelry to her red gown, wearing her set of modern diamond and ruby jewels.

Crown Princess Victoria, Madeleine’s sister, wore delicate diamond earrings and a coordinating bracelet.

Royal girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist — who will become Princess Sofia of Sweden later this week — wore gold earrings with a leaf motif for the dinner. (Beside her is one of Madeleine’s close friends, Louise Gottlieb, who went for a bit more sparkle with her earrings and bracelet.)

The king’s sisters also attended the pre-wedding dinner. Princess Margaretha wore diamond earrings and a diamond necklace, while Princess Birgitta wore a distinctive diamond cross necklace and diamond earrings.

The king’s third sister, Princess Désirée, is looking away from the camera in the photo above. She wore pearls for her niece’s pre-wedding dinner.



Princess Christina (one of Madeleine’s godparents) attended the dinner, too, wearing an extremely whimsical necklace and bracelet set.

Some of Madeleine’s Swedish cousins attended as well. That’s Princess Désirée of Hohenzollern, daughter of Princess Birgitta, wearing pearls and a stack of bracelets.

Princess Christina’s eldest son, Gustaf Magnuson, brought his girlfriend (now wife) Vicky, who wore a delicate diamond necklace.

A few foreign royals arrived early to attend the pre-wedding dinner as well. Princess Märtha Louise of Norway wore exuberant earrings with her green dress.

Princess Marie of Denmark went with slightly more subdued diamonds with her neutral evening gown.

The Greek royal cousins (who are related to the Swedes via their grandmother, Queen Ingrid of Denmark, who was King Carl XVI Gustaf’s aunt) brought a bit more sparkle. Princess Marie-Chantal wore a large golden cuff bracelet and glittering earrings with her sparkling dress.

Princess Tatiana wore statement diamond earrings and a stack of bracelets with her midnight-blue gown (probably my favorite dress of the entire evening!).

Princess Theodora went with simpler bracelets. (You can catch a glimpse of her golden bracelet, a Swedish/Danish family tradition, on her left wrist!)

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg opted for diamond pendant earrings and an evening watch, plus a very sparkly clutch.

And, predictably, Princess Charlene of Monaco wore … absolutely no jewelry at all. You break my heart, Charlene.

But Princess Takamado did better in the jewelry department. The Japanese imperial ladies usually wear only white jewels, so it was extra exciting to see what looks like a sapphire in the clasp of Hisako’s pearl choker necklace.

Princess Anna of Bavaria wore a truly intriguing bracelet, plus a pair of pendant earrings.

Hereditary Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wore a stunning heirloom jewel: the Albany diamond necklace. It was a wedding gift to Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (the wife of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, a son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) from her parents in 1882. Leopold and Helena were the grandparents of Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was the mother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

I’d be remiss, I think, if I didn’t include the glittering jewels worn by the groom’s family. Chris’s mother, Eva O’Neill, wore gold statement earrings and a jewel-studded clutch with her bright pink gown.

And Chris’s sisters, Countess Natascha of Abensberg-Traun and Tatjana d’Abo, also wore major jewels with their evening gowns.

That’s it for today’s jewel rewind — stay tuned tomorrow for tiaras from Madeleine’s wedding! And, as always, you can catch up with all of our posts about the upcoming Swedish royal wedding here!