The tiny brooch that links a great queen to her beloved father

When she was born in 1940, the then-Princess Margrethe was not in the line of succession as females could not inherit the throne. In 1953 a change in law meant that Margrethe was able to take her place as her father’s heir. To mark her change in status, King Frederik IX gave his daughter a brooch.

The small horseshoe-shaped brooch features 11 rubies and several smaller diamonds. Not only do the colours of the stone stand for Denmark’s national colours, the shape denotes luck.

Margrethe has worn this brooch at many significant occasions. Although she was in mourning at the time, she wore the brooch on January 15, 1972 when she was proclaimed Queen. She has also worn it at family events including at weddings and baptisms.

The brooch was on display at Amalienborg Palace in a Golden Jubilee exhibition in 2022.