Pearls are the birthstone of June and for centuries they have taken a starring role in royal jewels. They now feature in some of the best known pieces worn by ruling dynasties across Europe. Among the Danish collection are some truly romantic and historic pieces.
Queen Mary of Denmark’s wedding tiara
Queen Mary received a small wedding tiara, fashioned from diamond hearts and fleur-de-lis motifs, as a gift from Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. No further details of its provenance have ever been released, but the strong suspicion is that the tiara was purchased at auction.
In 2011, Crown Princess Mary had the tiara reworked to add a row of pearls along its base and pearls atop each of the lower spikes. Jeweller Marianne Dulong updated the tiara and made the pearl elements removable so that Crown Princess Mary could wear it with and without the pearl setting.
The Pearl Poire Tiara
This is one of the most famous tiaras in Europe and it now belongs to Queen Mary of Denmark.
(Det Danske Kongehus/ Instagram still/ fair use)
This classic diamond and pearls tiara has a history that traces through the royal families of Prussia, the Netherlands, and Sweden and Norway before landing in Denmark. Created in 1825 for the King of Prussia’s daughter, the tiara eventually made its way onto the head of a line of Danish queens.
(Photographer Per Morten Abrahamsen for Kongehuset)
The Pearl Poiré Tiara features 18 pear-shaped pearl pendants on a diamond base. For over half a century, it was exclusively worn by Queen Margrethe. After her abdication, in 2024, Queen Mary began to wear the tiara.
