For the royal women at King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Golden Jubilee gala dinner on 15 September 2023, it was another opportunity to wear their best jewels. For a handful of them, it was the chance to re-wear their respective wedding tiaras.
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece — The Khedive of Egypt Tiara
Embed from Getty ImagesQueen Anne-Marie’s wedding tiara, the Khedive of Egypt tiara, is a stunning Cartier diamond laurel scroll tiara created at the top of the 20th century for her grandmother, Princess Margaret, as a wedding gift from the last Khedive of Egypt.
After her death, her only daughter, Ingrid, inherited the tiara and brought it to Denmark upon marriage in 1935. Queen Ingrid then loaned out the Khedive of Egypt tiara liberally, sparking a royal tradition for the women of the Danish, Greek, and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg families.
Queen Margrethe, Queen Anne-Marie, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, and Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark have all worn the Khedive of Egypt tiara on their wedding days.
Queen Anne-Marie’s wedding took place on 18 September 1964, when she was 18-years-old. She paired it with the antique lace veil from Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1905, which nearly every bride in the family has also worn.
In 2000, upon the death of Queen Ingrid, Queen Anne-Marie inherited the tiara.
Crown Princess Mary — Crown Princess Mary’s Wedding Tiara
Embed from Getty ImagesCrown Princess Mary received a special wedding present from Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik when she married Crown Prince Frederik on 14 May 2004: her own diamond tiara.
The exact provenance of the tiara has never been shared, and it is a personal gift from the Queen and Prince Henrik, not a loan that will someday return to the Danish Royal Family’s jewel vault.
Crown Princess Mary’s wedding tiara is a delicate diamond tiara with motifs of hearts and fleurs-de-lys on a tiny band. It can be converted into a necklace as well, and Mary has worn it in this form on many occasions. In 2011, it was altered by Marianne Dulong, a Danish jeweller, to add a row of pearls to the base and pearl toppers that could be added to the short elements.
Princess Sofia — Princess Sofia’s Wedding Tiara
Embed from Getty ImagesPrincess Sofia received a very special gift from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia on her wedding day, 13 June 2015: a tiara fashioned from, reportedly, one of the Queen’s necklaces.
Princess Sofia’s tiara is fashioned from diamond palmettes and diamond spikes on a small frame and was created in total secrecy for the new royal in 2015. Reportedly, Queen Silvia had the tiara created in Thailand so it wouldn’t leak to the press and ruin Princess Sofia’s surprise.
In the years since, Princess Sofia’s wedding tiara has proven to be a versatile piece of jewellery. Worn on her wedding day with emerald attachments, Princess Sofia is also able to swap out the jewels on her tiara with pearls, diamonds, turquoises, and, as debuted last week, citrines.
Princess Madeleine — The Modern Fringe Tiara
Embed from Getty ImagesOn 8 June 2013, Princess Madeleine wore the Modern Fringe tiara to her wedding to Christopher O’Neill.
Like Crown Princess Mary, the exact provenance of Princess Madeleine’s wedding tiara is unknown. It first appeared in the Swedish Royal Family around 1986, with many speculating that it might be a tenth wedding anniversary gift from King Carl XVI Gustaf to his bride.
The Modern Fringe is a personal gift to Queen Silvia and does not belong to the Swedish Royal Family’s jewel foundation, which takes care of maintenance and ownership of the family’s jewels.
Its stylised diamond elements resemble floral elements, and it can be adapted into a necklace. Over the years, it became increasingly associated with Princess Madeleine, and the Swedish Royal Court confirmed that it had been gifted to her personally by her parents.
