Countess Gunnila Bernadotte’s Tiara

~ Saad719

Today’s tiara belonged to Countess Gunnila Bernadotte, a member of the Swedish Royal Family, who died in September. It was worn to various royal events by Countess Gunnila, who was an aunt by marriage to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, and Queen Anne Marie of Greece. The Tiara will be auctioned at Bukowski’s in Stockholm on December 13th.

Countess Gunnila Bernadotte’s Tiara | Moonstone Suite

But first, lets learn about Countess Gunnila! The daughter of Count Nils Claes Ludvig Wachtmeister af Johannishus and Baroness Märta Ebba Carolina de Geer af Leufsta, Countess Gunnila Wachtmeister af Johannishus was married to Carl-Herman Bussler from 1942 to his death in 1981. The couple has four children. In 1988, Countess Gunnila married  Prince Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, the widower youngest son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught. The marriage made her the aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and the coupe were present at many royal events until his passing in 2012. Countess Gunnila remained present at Swedish Royal Events, passing away in 2016.

This Tiara is based around an aigrette that is “unusual and very personal in its design.” It is made of platinum, diamonds, and cultured pearls, which form an elegant lily of the valley, which can be taken apart, and worn as a brooch. The tiara originated from Countess Gunilla’s own Swedish aristocratic family, rather than from her husband’s family, most likely from her mother, Countess Märta (Hörke) Wachtmeister af Johannishus, born de Geer af Leufsta (1896-1976).

The tiara is in the shape of a lily of the vally. The pearls have a diameter between 4.2 to 7.7 mm and the total diamond weight is approximately 15.00 cts. French hallmarks. Probably circa 1912-1925. Platinum. Weight 50 gr.

Most likely Märta (Hörke) Wachtmeister af Johannishus, born de Geer af Leufsta (1896-1976) then passed on to her daughter Gunnila Bernadotte af Wisborg, born Wachtmeister af Johannishus (1923 -2016.)

According to information, Märta and her sister Marianne, (married to Carl Bernadotte and re-married to Marcus Wallenberg) both received a tiara at their weddings. Gunnila Bernadotte married Count Carl-Johan Bernadotte (1916 -2012), the youngest son of King Gustaf VI Adolf.

Countess Gunnila wore the Pearl and Diamond Tiara soon after her marriage to Prince Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg in 1988, paired with her Moonstone Suite for a Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

The Pearl and Diamond Tiara and Moonstone Suite were also worn for the Luxembourg State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm in 1991. The Prince’s title of Count of Wisborg had been given by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg in 1951, six years after he lost his Swedish Princely Title upon his first marriage.

Countess Gunnila’s husband, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte, was the son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught, and as such they were present at most Scandinavian Royal Weddings and Events, including the 50th Birthday Celebrations of King Carl Gustav of Sweden in 1996 and Queen Margrethe’s 60th Birthday in 2000.

The central lily of the valley was worn as a Brooch by Countess Gunnila  for the Wedding Gala of Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Morales Quintana at Bridgewater House in London in 1999.

The Pearl and Diamond Tiara was also notably worn by Countess Gunnila to the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004, the Wedding Crown Princess Victoria in 2010 and the Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013.

Countess Gunnila also wore the Pearl and Diamond Tiara for other official events, among them a Swedish State Visit to Denmark in 2007 and the 70th Birthday Gala for her niece, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in 2010.

After Countess Gunnila’s death in 2016, her Pearl and Diamond Tiara went on Auction at the Bukowski’s Auction House in Stockholm for an estimate of 60 000 – 80 000 SEK / $6700 – $9000 USD, eventually selling for 343,000 SEK / $38,000 USD surpassing its original estimate. Its current location is not known.

Pearl and Diamond Tiara

Moonstone Suite

Diamond Necklace Tiara

Grenadier Guards Brooch

Connaught Diamond Tiara

Khedive of Egypt Tiara

Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara

King Edward VII Ruby Tiara

Laurel Wreath Tiara

Sapphire and Tourmaline Necklace

Egyptian Necklace

The Braganza Tiara

Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure

Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara

The Swedish Cameo Parure

The Connaught Diamond Tiara

The Baden Fringe Tiara

Napoleonic Amethyst Parure

King Edward VII Ruby Tiara

Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara

Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara

Princess Lilian’s Laurel Wreath Tiara

Princess Sofia’s Wedding Tiara

Modern Fringe Tiara

Swedish Pink Topaz Parure

Bernadotte Emerald Parure

Laurel Wreath Tiara

Baden Fringe Tiara

Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara

 Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara

Egyptian Necklace

Turquoise Necklace

 Pearl Brooch

Diamond Stomacher Necklace

Bernadotte Emerald Parure

Processional Necklace

 Amethyst and Pearl Necklace

Karl Johan Earrings

This tiara is based around an aigrette that is “unusual and very personal in its design.” It is made of platinum, diamonds, and cultured pearls, which form an elegant lily of the valley. The piece bears French hallmarks. The “lily of the valley” piece can be taken apart, and can be worn as a brooch. The tiara come from Countess Gunilla’s own Swedish aristocratic family, rather than from her husband’s family. Most likely from her mother, Märta (Hörke) Wachtmeister af Johannishus, born de Geer af Leufsta (1896-1976) then passed on to her daughter for her first wedding.

Countess Gunnila wore the Tiara soon after her marriage to ​Prince Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg in 1988, for a Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm and also for the Luxembourg State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm in 1991. The Prince’s title of Count of Wisborg had been given by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg in 1951, six years after he lost his Swedish Princely Title upon his first marriage.

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Countess Gunnila’s husband, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte, was the son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught, and as such they were present at most Scandinavian royal weddings and events. The Tiara was notably worn by Countess Gunnila Bernadotte to the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004, the Wedding Crown Princess Victoria in 2010 and the Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013, as well as other official events including the 50th Birthday Celebrations of King Carl Gustav of Sweden in 1996. It was also worn as a brooch to the pre-wedding ball of Princess Alexia of Greece in 1999. The tiara was also worn by a model as part of advertising for the Auction on December 13th at Bukowski’s Auction House in Stockholm. The estimate is 60 000 – 80 000 SEK / $6700 – $9000 USD.

UPDATE: Countess Gunnila Bernadotte Tiara was sold for 343,000 SEK / $38,000 USD surpassing its original estimate.

Countess Gunnila Bernadotte’s Tiara | Moonstone Suite

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For more information, check out:

Bukowski’s

Bukowski’s

The Court Jeweller

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