Princess Irene’s Diamond Circle Necklace

Happy Birthday to Princess Irene of Greece, who turns 80 today! The youngest daughter of King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, and the sister of King Constantine of Greece and Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Irene has attended a plethora glittering events, though except for the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara and Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara, she does not possess the large collection of her sister and sister-in-law, though today’s piece is one of her few major jewels: Princess Irene’s Diamond Circle Necklace! 

Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara | Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara | Princess Irene’s Pendant | Diamond Circle Necklace

A series of intertwined diamond circles with a gold or seed pearl band at the back, this diamond necklace dates from the 1960s, and was first worn by Princess Irene around 1964, when she joined Queen Frederika in New York City in 1964, and made a great pairing with Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara later that year for the Wedding Ball of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne Marie of Denmark

  In 1966, Princess Irene paired her Diamond Circle Necklace with the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara for the Wedding Ball of Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in 1966, as well as for the Wedding Ball of the Margrave of Baden and Archduchess Valerie of Austria at Schloss Persenbeug later that year.

The Diamond Circle Necklace is one of the jewels that Princess Irene seems to have retained during the past five decades of the Greek Royal Family’s exile, and was paired with Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara for the Return Dinner hosted by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia during the Spanish State Visit to Britain in 1986. Not having been publicly worn for decades, let’s hope the Diamond Circle Necklace make a reappearance soon!

Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara | Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara | Princess Irene’s Pendant | Diamond Circle Necklace

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One thought on “Princess Irene’s Diamond Circle Necklace

  1. In the B&W photo above showing Irene and Sophia, the woman on the left is their maternal-grandmother:Viktoria-Luisa of Braunschweig, the daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

    Princess Irene of Greece wearing Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara!

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