Queen Sofia, the daughter of King Paul of Greece, is a member of the Spanish royal family who was Queen of Spain during the reign of her husband, King Juan Carlos I.
The Greek Princess became Queen upon her husband’s accession in 1975, making her the first consort of the restored monarchy of modern Spain.
On 19 June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favor of their son Felipe VI – though that’s not stopped Queen Sofia wowing us with her jewellery choices on a regular basis.
To celebrate her 84th birthday, engagement ring and diamond experts at Steven Stone have taken a close look at one of her most exquisite jewels – her diamond wedding necklace.
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How did Sofia and Juan Carlos meet?
Sofía first met the then Infante Juan Carlos of Spain on a cruise in the Greek Islands in 1954, before meeting again at the wedding of the Duke of Kent – her paternal second cousin, – at York Minster in June 1961.
Sofía and Juan Carlos married in Athens on 14th May 1962 – firstly in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Church of St. Denis, followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
In order to become more palatable to Catholic Spain, Sofía converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Catholicism, thus relinquishing her rights to the Greek throne.
Queen Sofia’s diamond wedding necklace
A reported wedding gift around the time of her wedding, the then Princess Sofia of Greece wore a diamond necklace featuring a small ‘V’ and a cross pendant on her wedding day.
Since her Wedding and her husband King Juan Carlos’ Accession, which both took place in 1975, Queen Sofia has continued to wear the necklace.
Though the then Princess Sofia of Greece wore the necklace with a cross pendant on her wedding day, she most frequently wears it with a delicate diamond drop pendant.
Major events that she’s worn the necklace at include the Christening of Princess Alexia in Greece in 1965, the Spanish State Banquet at the Elysee Palace in 1978 and multiple State Banquets.
Our experts estimate the necklace to be worth £100,000.
Which other Royals have worn the necklace?
Queen Sofia isn’t the only royal to have worn the necklace – she’s previously loaned the sentimental piece to her daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, who wore it at a Gala Dinner to mark the opening of the El Prado museum extension in 2007.
Though Queen Letizia hasn’t worn the sparkling piece since, the delicate style suited her aesthetic and with the family connection, it’s highly likely that she’ll give it another outing in the future.
“Queen Sofia’s diamond wedding necklace is one of the most stunning jewels in her collection.
The sparkling piece was first worn by the former monarch during her wedding in 1975 and she’s continued to wear it to events of great importance over the years, including the christening of Princess Alexia – making it a particularly sentimental piece.
Queen Sofia isn’t the only royal to have worn the necklace and Queen Letizia paid homage to her mother-in-law by wearing it at a Gala Dinner in 2007.
I’d estimate the necklace to be worth approximately £100,000.”
zack stone, managing director, steven stone
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