Happy Birthday to Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who turns 76 today! The daughter of King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece, and the younger sister of King Constantine of Greece and Queen Sofia of Spain, she has attended a plethora of glittering events. To mark her birthday, we are taking a look at the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara.
Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara | Queen Frederica’s Pearl Necklace Tiara | Princess Irene’s Pendant | Diamond Circle Necklace
A striking modern pearl and diamond necklace composed of pearls set within scrolls of diamonds, with a detachable central element, the provenance of this Necklace is unknown, but it seems to have been acquired shortly after King Paul and Queen Frederica Tour of America in late 1953, for which Queen Frederica only wore the Greek Emerald Tiara/Necklace and her Ruby Pendant.
Queen Frederica debuted the Pearl and Diamond Necklace at the Christening of Prince Ernst August von Hannover in 1954, and then paired it with Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara for the Greek State Visit to Yugoslavia in 1955, the Greek State Visit to Germany in 1956, the Greek State Visit to Ethiopia in 1959, and a State Visit to the Vatican in 1959.
The Pearl and Diamond Necklace was only worn once publicly by Queen Frederica’s elder daughter, the future Queen Sofia of Spain, who wore it for a spectacular Olympic Gala in Naples in 1960.
Queen Frederica wore the Pearl and Diamond Necklace for a Dinner at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens in 1962, on multiple occasions during the Greek State Visit to Britain in 1963, and on a visit to New York City in 1964.
In 1962, the Pearl and Diamond Necklace was worn as a Tiara by Princess Irene for the Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, as well as the Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963, including the Banquet and Gala Performance as well as the French State Visit to Greece a few months later.
After being widowed, Queen Frederica passed along the Greek Emerald Parure and Greek Ruby Parure to Queen Anne-Marie, but retained the Pearl and Diamond Necklace along with Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara, which was worn with her Cartier Sapphire Pendant for the Greek Banquet at Claridge’s Hotel in 1963, the Wedding Ball of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne Marie of Denmark in 1964, the Wedding of Prince Michael of Greece in 1965, for a Gala at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1966, and the Wedding Ball of the Margrave of Baden and Archduchess Valerie of Austria in 1966.
On a couple of occasions, Queen Frederica also wore the central Pearl and Diamond element as a brooch, most notably for the Christening of Princess Alexia of Greece in 1965 and on a visit to Jerusalem in 1965.
In addition to her Cartier Sapphire Pendant, Queen Frederica also wore the Pearl and Diamond Necklace with Queen Sophia’s Ruby Brooch, like at the Wedding of King Constantine of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark in 1964 and the Christening of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in 1967, as well as with her Emerald Pendant.
Princess Irene paired the Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara with her Diamond Circle Necklace for the Wedding Ball of Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands in 1966.
After the Greek Royal family were exiled in 1967, Queen Frederica went to live with her daughter, Queen Sofia of Spain, in Madrid, dying there in 1981. While Princess Irene has worn Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara, her Pendant, and Diamond Circle Necklace, the Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara has not made an appearance for decades, though maybe, like Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara, it is just waiting a reappearance.
Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara | Queen Frederica’s Pearl Necklace Tiara | Princess Irene’s Pendant | Diamond Circle Necklace
Queen Sophie’s Diamond Circle Tiara
Queen Frederica’s Pearl Necklace Tiara
Princess Irene’s Pendant
Diamond Circle Necklace
Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara
Greek Emerald Parure
Greek Ruby Parure
Khedive of Egypt Tiara
Antique Corsage Tiara
Pearl and Star Tiara
Diamond Stars
Aquamarine Pendant
Diamond Sautoir
Modern Diamond Necklace
Sapphire Necklace
Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Necklace
Van Cleef & Arpels Suite
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Pendant
Emerald Pendant
Amethyst Brooch
Diamond Swan Brooch
Seed Pearl Brooch
Bow Brooch
Diamond Clip Brooches
Seed Pearl Brooch
Greek Royal Tiaras
https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1045094168106856453
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Commissioned by Queen Frederika around the 1950s, she wore the piece, featuring large pearls set in a modern design, solely as a necklace, often with a variety of pendents, most notably Queen Marie of Romania’s huge sapphire. The necklace was almost always paired with Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara.
Princess Sofia wears the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace/Tiara https://t.co/jkHBt3Dtz2 pic.twitter.com/S5zEY3CY0k
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) September 11, 2019
Princess Sofia wears the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace/Tiara https://t.co/jkHBt3Dtz2 pic.twitter.com/S5zEY3CY0k
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) September 11, 2019https://www.instagram.com/p/BBiJKiDgOT3/?tagged=princessirene
Embed from Getty Images
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBikoXSAObP/?tagged=princessirene
Embed from Getty Images
Princess Irene started wearing her mother’s Pearl and Diamond Necklace as a Tiara soon after her 18th birthday, with notable occasions including a French State Banquet and the Pre-Wedding Ball of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands. It was also once loaned to her sister, Queen Sofia of Spain. The Princess stopped wearing Tiaras in exile, and while some assume that the Greek Pearl and Diamond Necklace Tiara has been sold, many hope it still belongs to Princess Irene, and look forward to her loaning the piece to any of her Greek and Spanish royal nieces and nephews.
I think this is one of those rare necklaces that also looks good as a tiara- or maybe it’s the other way around? 🙂 Princess Irene looked lovely in it! I, too, hope we’ll see it again, perhaps in one of her grand-nieces’ wedding. I wish her joy on her birthday!
I hope we see it soon too! CP Frederik of Denmark is having a Gala Dinner for his 50th Birthday later this month, and all the greeks are expected, so you never know!
Unlike her sister Princess Alexia, Princess Theodora doesn’t seem to have a tiara of her own. This one would be perfect for her!