Princess Benedikte’s Tiaras

Happy Birthday to Princess Bendikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg who turns 73 today. Daughter of a Danish King and Swedish Princess, sister of the Queens of Greece and Denmark, cousin of the Kings of Sweden and Norway, and the consort of a German Prince, she has attended many glittering occasions throughout the last 60 years. Take a look at the tiaras she has worn at those events-

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara

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Given as a wedding gift from the 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, to his bride Princess Madeleine of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg in 1906, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara was worn by her in a painting. On her death in 1976, she left the tiara to her grandson, Prince Richard, and has been worn by Princess Bendikte at the grandest events since. After Prince Richard’s death earlier this year, it was inherited by their son, Prince Gustav, and might be seen next on his partner, Carina Axelsson.

Princess Benedikte’s Floral Tiara

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Made for Princess Benedikte’s 18th Birthday, this diamond floral tiara was adopted from a brooch belonging to her grandmother, Queen Alexandrine. The center stone can be swapped between an emerald, a pearl, and a diamond. A favourite in her younger years, it is now loaned to her daughters, Princess Alexandra, Countess Jefferson of Pfeil and Klein-Ellguth and Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Princess Benedikte described the piece as:

In the central flower sits a large brilliant, which can be exchanged with an emerald; I inherited this piece from my grandmother, Queen Alexandrine, and it was then placed on a comb with the emerald. The two side pieces (…) can be used as independent brooches. These two were a gift for my confirmation from my parents on 19 March 1959. They were originally one brooch which my mother inherited from Baron Didrik Bildt, a friend of my grandfather. I used to place them in my hair before I was 18 and allowed to use a tiara. To my confirmation my mother fixed the central section so it could be used both as a brooch and a pendant. The brilliant was a gift from my mother in the summer of 1964; it was an excess piece from the jewellery my mother arranged as a tiara for my sister Anne-Marie’s 18h birthday on 30 August.”

Queen Sophia’s Star and Pearl Tiara

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A wedding gift to Princess Sophia of Nassau from her half brother Adolphe (later Grand Duke of Luxembourg), when she married the future King Oscar II of Sweden in 1857. It passed to her daughter-in-law, Queen Victoria, who left it to her granddaughter, Queen Ingrid. It was loaned to Princess Benedikte and Queen Ingrid, before being inherited by Princess Benedikte in 2000. Worn quite regularly, it has been loaned to her daughters, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie, as well as her son’s longtime partner, Carina Axelsson.

Khedive of Egypt Tiara

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Given as a wedding present to Princess Margaret of Connaught when she married Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden in 1905, the Khedive of Egypt Tiara was inherited by her only daughter after her tragic early death in 1920. Queen Ingrid lent the piece frequently. It was worn by Princess Bendikte to her 1968 Wedding, and by all of Queen Ingrid’s female decedents to their weddings. It passed to Queen Anne Marie in 2000. Click HERE to read more about this Tiara.

Baden Palmette Tiara

Made in Koch in 1856 for Princess Louise of Prussia from her father as a wedding gift when she married the future Grand Duke of Baden, the Palmette Tiara features a design of hearts created by palmette motifs. It was given to Princess Louise’s daughter, Queen Victoria of Sweden, who left it to her granddaughter, Queen Ingrid of Denmark. Queen Ingrid loaned the Tiara to Princess Bendikte, and her daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, before leaving it to Queen Margrethe in 2000. Click HERE to read more about this Tiara.

Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

Worn by Princess Benedikte when she was a teenager, for a play on the life of her ancestress, Queen Desideria of Sweden, the Danish Ruby Parure was made for the Coronation of Napoleon in 1804, and is one the oldest set of jewels in the Danish Royal Collection. One of Napoleon’s Marshal’s, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, bought a ruby and diamond wreath tiara and accompanying parure for his wife, Désirée Clary (Napoleon’s one time fiancée), to wear at the celebrated event. It made its way over to Sweden when Jean Baptiste and Désirée became King Carl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria of Sweden. Queen Desideria left the parure to her daughter-in-law, Queen Josephine of Sweden (grand daughter of Napoleon’s Empress Josephine), who gave it as a wedding gift to her granddaughter, Queen Louise of Denmark. The Tiara was given as a wedding gift to her daughter-in-law, later Queen Alexandrine, who inherited the rest of the parure in 1926. Alexandrine gave it as a wedding gift to her daughter-in-law, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, who wore it at her wedding ball. Later, as Queen Ingrid, she transformed the small wreath tiara into substantial diadem by adding who brooches into the structure of the Tiara. Queen Ingrid retained her favourite parure for the rest of her life, even after being widowed in 1972, and left it to her grandson, Crown Prince Frederik, when she died in 2000. The Ruby Parure is now worn by Crown Princess Mary. Click HERE to read more about this Tiara.

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