Last year, the Danish royal family marked an important milestone: the Golden Jubilee of Queen Margrethe II. The Queen has been on the throne since 14th January 1972.
Margrethe became Queen of Denmark when her father, King Frederik IX of Denmark, passed away on 14th January 1972. She was proclaimed queen the following day.
Queen Margrethe is known for adding artistic flourishes to her outfits with her jewellery collection, which is full of bright emeralds and sapphires.
To celebrate the monarch’s birthday on 16th April 2023, fine jewellery and engagement ring specialists at Steven Stone have taken a close look at some of the Danish Queen’s grandest and most eclectic pieces of jewellery.
The Khedive of Egypt Tiara
Value: £2.5 million ($3 million)
In 1905, Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden married Princess Margaret of Connaught after meeting on a trip to Egypt.
As the couple’s love story was tied to Cairo, the Khedive of Egypt was keen to give them a wedding gift that would honour the beginning of their romance, and did so with a diamond wreath scroll tiara.
When Crown Princess Margareta passed away, Princess Ingrid – her only daughter – inherited the headpiece and she wore it up until her death in 2000.
Though the then Princess Ingrid didn’t wear the piece on her wedding day, it has become the official wedding tiara for all of her female descendants in the years since.
Crown Princess Margrethe wore the tiara when she married Henri de Laborde de Montpezat on 10th June 1967 in the Holmen Church, Copenhagen.
Engagement Ring
Value: £1 million ($1.3 million)
In October 1966, the then Crown Princess Margrethe announced her engagement to Count Henri de Monpezat.
Made by Van Cleef & Arpels, her engagement ring features two huge princess cut diamonds – one stone to represent the bride and one to represent the groom.
Queen Margrethe is renowned for being one of the most artistic Heads of State, whose genius and vibrant nature is widely lauded – thus, the unusual design is reflective of it’s creative wearer.
Totaling a carat weight of 12 carats, our experts estimate the value of the ring to be at least £1,000,000.
The George Jensen Jubilee Brooch
Value: £16,000 ($20,000)
Royal warrant holder George Jensen crafted a unique piece of jewellery to celebrate Queen Margrethe’s 50 years on the Danish throne, in the form of a gold brooch.
The design takes inspiration from both the queen’s motto, “God’s help, the love of the people, Denmark’s strength” and her long-held passion for set design.
The 18-karat gold beam represents the help of God, the golden heart symbolises the love of the people and the design’s rounded shape is a reference to Denmark’s unbreakable strength.
The jubilee piece features 50 grooves along the edge that represent the years since Queen Margrethe’s accession to the throne in 1972.
Diamond Daisy Brooch
Value: £160,000 ($200,000)
In 1935, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden commissioned a Brooch in the shape of a Daisy as a wedding gift for his only daughter, Princess Ingrid, when she married the future King Frederik IX of Denmark.
The diamonds in the brooch came from his late wife, Crown Princess Margareta, and the design made reference to her nickname ‘Daisy’, which is the national flower of Denmark.
After loaning the brooch to her daughter, the then Crown Princess, Margrethe, for her wedding in 1967, Queen Ingrid went on to gift her eldest daughter the brooch for her 60th birthday in 2000.
Queen Margrethe has worn the sentimental brooch for several important occasions – including her 80th birthday celebrations, the christening of Prince Christian and Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday.
Floral Choker Bracelet
Value: £400,000 ($500,000)
Featuring a dense and intricate diamond floral design, Queen Margethe’s floral choker bracelet dates from the 1840’s.
It was originally given to the then Princess Louise of the Netherlands by her father-in-law, King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway, on her marriage to his son, the future King Charles XV, in 1850 and eventually inherited by her only child, who became Queen Lovisa of Denmark.
After Queen Lovisa’s death in 1926, the bracelet was left to the Danish Royal Family’s jewellery foundation and reserved for the use of Danish Queens.
The bracelet came to Queen Margrethe after her accession in 1972, and was often worn for Gala events in the early years of her reign – most notably in her first official portraits.
In the 1980s, Queen Margrethe affixed the bracelet to a black silk ribbon, so she was able to wear it as a choker necklace.
“Queen Margrethe is known for adding artistic flourishes to her outfits with her jewellery collection and just like Princess Diana, she’s unafraid to wear the pieces in her own unique way – for example, by affixing black silk to one of her diamond floral bracelets, she’s able to wear it as a choker.
From her 12 carat engagement ring that’s worth a staggering £1 million, to the diamond wreath scroll tiara that she wore on her wedding day, the Danish Queen has one of the grandest and most eclectic jewellery collections among Europe’s royal houses.”
Maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
If you’re inspired by Queen Margrethe’s jewellery choices, why not take a look at our collection of necklaces, rings, and bracelets in a range of beautiful precious gemstones? We also have an extensive range of engagement and wedding rings.
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