Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure

Today marks the Anniversary of the death of Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, the grandmother of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, who was born on this day in 1950. To mark the day, we are taking a look at her Sapphire Parure (an article that has been over two years in the making)-

Like her Fringe Tiara and Russian Sapphire Tiara, Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure is said to have Romanov origins, most likely from her mother, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna. Over the years, the sapphires have been worn in various configurations, including a corsage ornament, pendants, a large necklace, and the current setting features a necklace with seven sapphire and diamond clusters, a pair of earrings, some hairpins, and a large marquise-shaped sapphire brooch/pendant set from another sapphire cluster.

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Queen Alexandrine wore the Sapphires as a corsage ornament or stomacher, usually with her Fringe Tiara, or suspended from her diamond sautoir, which now belongs to Queen Anne-Marie and Princess Benedikte. After her death in 1950, the corsage was inherited by her elder son, King Frederik IX.

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In 1958, King Frederik and Queen Ingrid presented the large Sapphire Pendant to their elder daughter, Crown Princess Margrethe, for her 18th birthday.

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A decade later, King Frederik and Queen Ingrid had the rest of the corsage made into a sapphire and diamond necklace and pair of earrings, which they presented to Crown Princess Margrethe on her Wedding in 1967. The parure was worn in a variety of creative ways to many important occasions, including her Wedding Gala, the Wedding of Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, and the Wedding of King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway.

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The Sapphire Parure was frequently worn after Queen Margretha’s accession in 1972, for banquets, galas, and even daytime events, in new and creative configurations before the necklace was shortened in the late 2000s.

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Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure has continued to be a favourite of Queen Margrethe, particularly for Black-Tie Gala events, like the Diamond Jubilee Dinner at Buckingham Palace, King Harald’s Silver Jubilee, the Wedding of Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, the Belgian State Visit to Denmark, and King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th Birthday Gala. There is no doubt we will continue to see the Sapphire Parure for years to come!