Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Sophia of Greece, who was born Princess Sophie of Prussia on this day in 1870. Despite being a frequently exiled Queen Consort, she had a variety of jewels which continued to be heirlooms of the Greek Royal Family for almost a century. Today, we are taking a look at a lesser known jewel, Queen Sophia’s Ruby Brooch-
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
A wedding gift from her mother, Empress Frederick, it is described as a “ruby of unusual size which is the centrepiece of the large diamond brooch” displayed among her wedding gifts. The Brooch was frequently worn by the then Crown Princess and later Queen in official portraits, with her Diamond Tiara, and also wore it in exile, like the wedding of her niece, Princess Olga.
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After Queen Sophie’s death, the Ruby Brooch, like the Diamond Tiara, was inherited by her second son, Crown Prince later King Paul, and worn a few years later by his wife, Queen Frederica, who often wore it as a brooch or as a pendant off of her Pearl and Diamond Necklace/Tiara. It continued to be worn after her widowhood, though it hasn’t been seen since. The Brooch was inherited by one of her three children, and like some of Queen Sophie’s jewels which have recently reappeared, this might soon make a reappearance.
