Attending the annual formal gathering of the Swedish Academy at the Stock Exchange in Stockholm, 20 December. Well, I mean, if you're going to go this far...tiara it up, man! I know, I know, that's the dress code's fault. Anyway, V gets points for adding a little hair bling, and also for wearing a dress that fits! Yay.
We have bemoaned the size of Crown Princess Mary's tiara collection many a time on this site. She has just two, plus the loaned Midnight Tiara, and one of them is a tiara that many find way too small for a future queen. But here's a thought: if you were to value jewel collections by the weight of their historical provenance, rather than just cumulative carats of bling or pure variety, Mary might come out farther ahead in the game than you think. Yes, her ruby parure - containing your fourth favorite tiara - carries some hefty historical weight indeed.
The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara
This tiara tale begins, like many others, at the court of Napoleon Bonaparte. When planning his coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804, he wanted to ensure that it would be the grandest possible event. He went so far as to give money to his marshals so that they could buy their wives the proper amount of jewels for the occasion. One of those men, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, bought a ruby and diamond wreath tiara and accompanying parure for his wife, Désirée Clary, and she wore it on that historical day. This couple would later become King Carl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria of Sweden, and the jewels found a new Swedish home.
Queen Alexandrine of Denmark
In the modern history of this tiara, it is so well associated with Queen Ingrid of Denmark (who was born a Princess of Sweden) that many assume it made the trip from Sweden to Denmark along with the rest of Ingrid's wedding gifts. In fact it came over much earlier, with another Swedish princess that became a Danish queen: Queen Louise, who married the future Frederick VIII in 1869. Louise received the tiara as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Josephine of Sweden (Désirée's daughter-in-law), because the rubies and diamonds echoed the colors of the Danish flag. Queen Louise gave the tiara to her son Crown Prince Christian's bride Alexandrine as a wedding gift; Alexandrine would have to wait until Louise passed away to inherit the rest of the parure.
Queen Ingrid in the original parure
It was Alexandrine that gave it to Princess Ingrid of Sweden when she married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 1935. You've probably noticed by now that the pictures of the tiara in use so far look nothing like the tiara we know today (nothing slips past you!), and you're quite right. The original version was more like a small wreath than a proper tiara, but Ingrid fixed that. In 1947, she took two of the brooches that came with the initial parure (which she can be seen wearing above) and added them to the tiara, giving it much more substance and turning it into a proper diadem that still had a lovely wreath structure from the random placement of the leaves.
A young Princess Benedikte playing with her mother's rubies
You will often see this set referred to as "Ingrid's rubies" and that makes sense: not only is she responsible for the Extreme Tiara Makeover, this was one of her signature pieces. Apart from allowing her daughter Princess Benedikte to wear the parure for a play Ingrid put together on the life of Queen Desideria, Ingrid kept the rubies to herself and did not share with the other ladies in the family.
Queen Ingrid in the altered parure
When Queen Ingrid died in 2000 she left the parure to her beloved grandson, Crown Prince Frederik, thereby ensuring that the future Crown Princess would have a truly grand and historical set of jewels to wear. It is the first tiara Mary ever wore - she wore the set twice for pre-wedding events in 2004, though she obviously opted for her wedding tiara on her wedding day - and it is the tiara she chooses for her grandest events. It is her "big gun" and she saves it for big gun events. She wears it for the annual New Years Court gala, the fanciest occasion of the year for the Danish royals, and she took it out of the country for the first time in her marriage for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. (No mistake there: Ingrid was married in that same cathedral.)
Crown Princess Mary in the tiara as she first wore it
The parure today includes a huge necklace, a set of earrings, a brooch, a bracelet, and a ring. It's interesting to note in close ups that the larger rubies are actually a couple smaller rubies joining forces to make one larger piece - that's not evident from farther away. (Large rubies are rare and expensive, so it makes practical sense to set it this way.) It's also interesting to investigate the color of the rubies; they often appear pink, magenta perhaps, rather than pure red. Crown Princess Mary has made some very successful combinations of this parure with dresses in many shades of blue, and I think the pink tones help her out there.
The parure's brooch
Ingrid usually wore the whole set at one time. But all together, it is enormous and possibly a bit overwhelming (certainly it must be a trial to wear!). So Mary's come up with some inventive ways to wear different pieces - the earrings can now take different pendants, she's worn the pendant of the brooch as a pendant on a necklace, that sort of thing.
The parure, L to R: the full parure; the pendant of the brooch used as a necklace; (above) the bracelet and ring; (below) the full earrings which have additional wires to wrap around the top of the ear to distribute their weight; the top of the earrings with a pearl pendant; and just the top of the earrings used for a more casual event
She's also taken a page out of Ingrid's book and has altered the shape of the tiara to her own taste. It's certainly not as large of a change as Ingrid made. She's rearranged the leaves, making a more compact shape, and she put it on a new frame customized to her head shape, which allows her to wear it upright more easily. The new tiara debuted in 2010.
Mary's tiara overhaul
I have to say, I miss the old version. I didn't even know that I appreciated the leafy randomness of the thing until she took some of it away. That said, I know this: a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Kudos to her for making it her own and doing whatever she needs to do to make such a cumbersome (grand and gorgeous, but cumbersome) piece work for her. We still have the sparkle, no matter which version you prefer.
Mary with the altered tiara
So, do you see why I think Mary comes out farther ahead in the jewel game than it might initially appear? She might not have access to as many jewels as Crown Princess Victoria or Princess Máxima, but which other crown princess has sole custody of a tiara with this much history and this large of an accompanying parure to boot? None of them have that. And though I would never call myself a big fan of her wedding tiara, after a full review of this set, I can understand why it is what it is: it's light, it's got to be easy to wear, it's basically the polar opposite of the rubies.
A sparkly view is above; for even more information and loads more glittering shots, I highly recommend you watch Part 1 of De Kongelige Juveler, where you can hear Queen Margrethe and Crown Princess Mary discuss this piece and what it means in their own words.
Always a fan favorite, it’s no surprise this sentimental tiara with a memorable design made your list of favorites.
A sketch of the gem - you will note it is upside down, in stomacher fashion - from the couple's wedding gifts
Made by Cartier, this diamond ornament was a gift to Princess Margaret of Connaught when she married Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden in 1905 from the Khedive of Egypt. A fitting gift, as the couple had first met in the Khedive's country. It was also used as a flexible stomacher or ornament of sorts, as shown in the original sketch of the Princess’ wedding gifts and as worn by her in the portrait shown.
Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden
When Margaret died in 1920, her daughter Princess Ingrid inherited the piece. She brought it with her when she married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and eventually became Queen of Denmark. It remained her personal property until she passed away in 2000.
Queen Ingrid of Denmark
The Danish royal family under Queen Margrethe does not do much sharing when it comes to their jewelry, but things were a little better when Ingrid ruled the roost (of course, Ingrid had more jewels than Margrethe does, as Ingrid did not leave all of her stash to her oldest daughter alone).
Princess Margaretha of Sweden
She loaned this one to her niece, Sweden's Princess Margaretha, while she was in Denmark for Margrethe's 18th birthday celebrations. And then she began a family tradition that continues to this day when she loaned the Khedive to each of her three daughters on their wedding days. Every female descendant of Ingrid's has worn the tiara for their wedding ever since Queen Anne-Marie in 1964. Anne-Marie's youngest daughter, Princess Theodora, is the only granddaughter currently unmarried; after that, it will likely be a while before we see if the tradition will continue to the great-granddaughters as well.
When Ingrid died, she left the tiara to Anne-Marie, her youngest daughter. (Anne-Marie is the one that had a taller base put on the tiara, which is why it looks quite different on Princess Nathalie in the photos above.) It's interesting to ponder what will happen to the tiara now that it is in the Greek royal family. The Greeks are royals without a country, but since they have such close family ties to other current royal families, we still see them attending big events regularly. However, it is inevitable that as time and generations pass on they will have fewer royal events to attend, and a lack of tiara events combined with the occasional need for funds is often the culprit behind the sale of family jewels.
This is one of the most interesting tiara designs in use: the swirled design seems modern from far away, but the detail up close turns that modern clock back in time. It’s never been a huge favorite of mine, but if I had to guess why so many of you cast your vote in its favor, I’d say it’s maybe one part design to two parts sentimentality. Am I close?
Why do you like this one? (Or why not, if it didn’t make your list?)
Fringe lover that I am, I’m thrilled that this one made the list. So's Victoria, just look at her! And I suspect that the Crown Princess herself had a good bit to do with this one making the top 15. A good tiara-to-user match + general affection for said user = top 15 success. Is that right? If you voted for this one, tell me...
Attending a meeting on the 2011 Nobel Prize laureates, 5 December.
Lunch at the palace for a politician, 6 December. Legit boots instead of shooties? I'll take it!
a and b) The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. Though I originally called it as Elie Saab, and others thought perhaps Malene Birger, it is indeed a Pär Engsheden creation. Doesn't matter, I still love it, and I love this too:
Here’s one that I was quite surprised to see garner so many mentions. I have to ask:
What put this on your list?
Was it Victoria’s superb Nobel 2010 outing? Is it simply the uniqueness of the piece? Was it something that stuck with you when we did the original Tiara Thursday post, or have you always been a fan? Do tell.
The Nobel Prize celebrations are wrapping up in Norway and Sweden with a second day of tiaras n' dresses at a dinner for the Nobel laureates given in Sweden by King Carl Gustaf and a concert for the Peace Prize in Norway. And as usual, most of the participants took it down a notch from the first day's festivities, but you never know who might strike your award-giving fancy...
From prairie mama to saucy schoolgirl in 24 hours...ladies and gentlemen, Mette-Marit! She looks fantastic in this sexy Emilio Pucci dress. Could have used a little of yesterday's hair flair, but it's still a change for the better, and my best dressed for day 2.
Best Festive Spirit
Princess Märtha Louise
Well, she's hard to see, but we've got a sparkly skirt and that's a win. Though perhaps the festive style award should belong to Ari instead?
Most Improved
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
No giant bow in the middle of the sash, and an updo (though it seems like it might be a rather messy one)...it counts, it all adds up. Plus, hand-holding. She also made my tiara prediction come true by wearing the pearl and diamond choker tiara, even though it's far from my favorite Luxembourg piece.
Best Wish Fulfilled
Queen Silvia
Many of you had your fingers crossed for an appearance of the Connaught Diamond Tiara, and Silvia's got you covered. The dress is a repeat of her turn at the wedding ball in Monaco, so I'm thankful she didn't repeat the Nine Prong Tiara also.
Saddest Repeat Title
Princess Christina
Yesterday Christina won my title for Biggest Missed Tiara Opportunity, and today she gets it again by sticking to her tiny pearl and diamond tiara. Aw, man, couldn't we have pulled something from the vaults instead?
Best Repeat
Crown Princess Victoria
No, I refer not to the dress, which I don't dislike or anything but is not spectacular like yesterday's creation, and I am also not referring to the Baden Fringe Tiara. I'm talking about the huge diamond earrings that she debuted at her pre-wedding celebrations. Just amazing!
Worst Substitution
Princess Madeleine
For those that asked where Madeleine was yesterday, here's your answer: she attended an event in New York City (her home now) commemorating the 100th anniversary of Marie Curie's Nobel Prize. And while she looks lovely - New York really does agree with her, apparently - it's not a valid substitute for tiaras and diamonds. Sorry, Madde.
Is anybody tickling your fancy on day 2? Have any overall Nobel ratings for 2011?
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in the presence of the Norwegian royal family today, and over in Stockholm the rest of the Nobel Prizes were celebrated with royals from Sweden and Luxembourg present. They have their prizes; we have our awards for the sparkliest event we’ve had since this summer…
Worst in Christmas
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
Well, Maria Teresa did what I hoped she'd do: got her Elie Saab on. But alas, this repeated gown could headline a seminar titled How Not to Wear a Sash 101. And her pairing with the Chaumet Emerald Tiara kicks off an unexpected theme for our ladies today: Christmas! 'Tis the season indeed. (Boy, she really must not travel with a hairdresser. I'm worried about this baby slipping off!)
Most Elegant
Queen Silvia
Another pre-wedding event repeat (from a different wedding, of course), Queen Silvia's altered Jacques Zehnder (I believe) gown is perfection. Unfortunately, she has done That Which I Wished She Would Not Do, and brought out The Pronger, a.k.a. the Nine Prong Tiara, a.k.a. Queen Sophia's Diamond Tiara. It has history, it has diamonds from here to the North Pole, it has sparkle...and it has antlers. I suppose every Christmas festival needs a tiny bit of reindeer love.
Best Sparkle Spirit
Crown Princess Victoria
YAY!!! I wanted Saab. She delivered Saab. (UPDATE: Nope, it is not by Elie Saab.) I wanted something new in the tiara department...and she almost delivered it, wearing the brooch, earrings, and hairpins from the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure. Sadly she paired it with the Six Button Tiara which I am no fan of, but I'll let it go because the rest is exactly what we haven't seen from her throughout this pregnancy. She abandoned her tent dresses for a bump-clinging gown, she abandoned her thrown-together look for a thoroughly coordinated blue party, and she even abandoned her love of comfort for the evening in a gown that has to be heavy and earrings so cumbersome they require the use of small over-ear wire hangers to distribute the weight. She and her sequined bump are the prize shiny ornament on our Nobel Christmas tree.
Biggest Missed Tiara Opportunity
Princess Christina
If the Six Button must be worn, Christina should be the one to do it. She just does it best. Instead, she stuck with her small pearl and diamond tiara (which she owns personally). Obviously she was elegant as always...if it ain't broke, don't fix it, I suppose. (By the way, lest I come across as too harsh on the button front, I'll say this: it was out-sparkling the Nine Prong Tiara on the broadcast by quite a bit.)
Most Consistent
Queen Sonja
Keeping up the Christmas theme, Sonja was sleek in red with a gift-wrapped bow at her waist and a ribbon sculpture on her head during the day, and elegant in snow white for the evening. (Note to Sonja: look, you don't need so much extra business happening. You're lovely. Keep it simple, just like this!)
Biggest Contrast
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
Perfect as the quintessential Ice Princess in Valentino during the day (even with a little Goth misletoe wreath on her head...all the better to elicit smooches from Hunky Haakon, I suppose), it all went astray in the evening, in her second Valentino of the day. First of all, Marie-Chantal already did this look. Second of all, she's not a grandmother from the olden days. And third...and this might be the only time I will ever say this...she should have stolen her mother-in-law's dress.
And Just Because...
The Rest of the Men
Haakon can't be the only one getting some appreciation. That's just not fair; after all, he's not the only one that got all spruced up. Gentlemen, well played.
Who is your best-dressed for the day? Worst?
Nobel events continue on Sunday, so tune back in for Part 2!
If Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine do Nobel style right, it's because they learned from the master: their mother. Queen Silvia has always made very specific sartorial selections for the events surrounding the awarding of the Nobel Prizes. She's been at it since her wedding in 1976 and has amassed such a collection that it was even worthy of an exhibition a while back. Here we have a slew of dresses that are usually specially selected for the event and are carefully coordinated with their jewel mate. (The majority of those magnificent hair creations we looked at earlier this year? They come from the Nobel ceremony.) So, we're devoting the last flashback before we get to see what the ladies have in store for us this year to the Queen and her most memorable Nobel looks.
This is where it all begins, Silvia's first Nobel ceremony. A very 1970s look, and a marked contrast to the queenly appearances she'll make later on; even her demeanor is less polished here - such a relaxed posture, legs crossed. We never see that from proper Queen Silvia today. This is also the first and last time we see her turn to her wedding dress designer, Dior, for a Nobel look.
The 1980s! Always good for an overstuffed giggle. Actually, Queen Silvia fared pretty well during this fluffy decade, and several of her gowns could be reused today (notable exceptions above). The 80s are also notable for the introduction of Danish designer Jørgen Bender in Silvia's repertoire. Apparently Silvia had a fairly close relationship with Queen Ingrid (a Swedish princess turned Danish queen), and this seems to be her influence at work: Bender was responsible for a lot of couture (including wedding gowns) for the Danish royal ladies.
If anything, her most voluminous gowns belong to the 1990s, where she kept a string of giant skirts but thankfully forgot all about the huge matching sleeves, so they just fit the fairy princess bill (fairy queen, I suppose, though perhaps that first black and white number is more of a jailbird queen sort of thing) instead of falling into the cringeworthy retro category.
Our last decade was a period of transition for Silvia. Her last froofy (technical term) gown was really in 2001, with the Nina Ricci creation above. While I love it - come on, she looks like she just flounced off of the Swan Lake stage and happened upon the Nobel Prize ceremony - I also can't help but wonder if our lovely queen had by this time reached an age at which such gowns should be left to her daughters. And perhaps she wondered the same, as the rest of the decade sees her trimming down her wondrous hair creations and the size of her gowns.
Last year's appearance receives special recognition, and not just for the divine shape that dress cuts on her. The mixture of the jewel-toned green with the deep blue sapphires is so unique and it just works. It almost makes up for the fact that the miraculous creations of hair art seem to have disappeared.
Now, we must tally the tiara tiara appearances, in order to accurately guess what Her Majesty might spring on us this year:
As you can see, that's zero appearances for the big ol' Braganza Tiara, since apparently the Nobels are important but not that important. I'm feeling like the amethysts have been woefully neglected, and perhaps it's time for their day to come once again (when am I not feeling that way about amethysts?). I'll take anything but the Nine Prong, really.
Favorite year? Bet for this year? Hmmm?
Psst: There's a second dinner at which tiaras will be present that isn't represented above. Also, here's some exciting news: since one of the Nobel laureates this year is from Luxembourg, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess will be in attendance! Luxembourg bling and Swedish sparkle, be still my heart.
Psst again: The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony is on Saturday and will stream live on the Nobel Prize website, and also at SVT though not all of their material is available to viewers outside of Sweden. It starts at 4:30 pm CET (that's Stockholm time), and here's a handy tool to prevent time zone math migraines should you need it. I will be watching; if you're so inclined, feel free to join me on The Twitter. The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo starts at 1:00 pm CET, and will be attended by the King, Queen, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess of Norway.
As we continue to ramp up for this weekend's Nobel festivities, it's time to take a look at one of Queen Silvia's favorite tiaras, and a regular star at the Nobel ceremony: the Leuchtenberg Sapphires.
The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara
This gem has a provenance similar to another huge Scandinavian diadem: Empress Joséphine's Emerald Tiara, now in the possession of Norway's royal family. The sapphires are thought to have been a wedding gift from Napoléon to Princess Augusta of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, when she married Eugène de Beauharnais (Empress Joséphine's son).
Left to Right: Queen Victoria, Queen Louise, Princess Sibylla, Princess Birgitta
It makes the journey to Sweden with Augusta's daughter, Josephine, who was the Queen consort of Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. The parure is now in the family foundation in Sweden, and has been worn mostly by queens and those acting as first ladies of the country, though there are exceptions to that rule: one being when King Carl Gustaf's sister, Princess Birgitta, wore it for Carl Gustaf and Silvia's pre-wedding ball in 1976.
Queen Silvia
Birgitta's outing of the sapphires was the last time they were worn by anyone other than Queen Silvia (to date). She's made this one of her staples, and has explored all sorts of color combinations with the luscious blue sapphires.
Queen Josephine in the pearl version of the tiara
Composed of 11 sapphires framed in diamonds on a diamond base of honeysuckle and leaf motifs, it was probably made by the Parisian jeweler Marie-Etienne Nitot. It's a very flexible piece, both in stones and in shape. Originally, pearls were included as an alternative to the sapphires. The pearls have left the family line now, but the attachment capability is still there. They could get new pearls and restore the old version, which would be great since the whole giant Swedish tiara collection really doesn't have a great hefty pearl piece.
Close up and flexibility of the tiara
It's also flexible in form: the tiara is comprised of 11 separate sections, meaning you can adjust the circumference to suit your needs (it even stores flat in its case, which is quite interesting). This tiara is large and surely has a significant weight to it - but it is still a favorite, and I wonder if the flexibility factors into that. Surely the ability to form it to suit your head shape makes for a more comfortable tiara-wearing experience.
Elements of the parure on their own and in use
The tiara is the headliner in a full parure of jewelry. Today, that parure is composed of the tiara, earrings, a necklace, a brooch, and two hairpins. The earrings are relatively new to the set: Queen Victoria didn't wear earrings, so she either gave the originals away or had them remade into something else. Queen Louise (as Crown Princess) converted two of the four original hairpins into a set of earrings to complete the parure once again.
Tiara glimpses at 1:00 and 2:20
It's not only a fine example of craftsmanship and ingenuity in construction, but a wonderful example of superior stone quality in the deep blue sapphires. With so many options available, and such a grand parure to play around with, it's no wonder Queen Silvia wears it so frequently. I say keep it up, Your Majesty!
How does this one rank on your list of favorite tiaras?
