Queen Josefina’s Diamond Brooches

Today marks the Death Anniversary of Queen Ingrid of Denmark, the Swedish Princess who was the mother of Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte, and Queen Anne Marie of Greece, and to mark the occasion, we are taking a look at her oft-worn Diamond Brooches, which were worn by another Swedish Princess that became the Queen of Denmark.

Originally belonging to Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway, these large antique diamond brooches date from the 1840s, and may have come from her sister, Empress Amelie of Brazil. These brooches were left to her granddaughter, Princess Lovisa of Sweden, who was pictured wearing them with Swedish Court Dress, and took them with her to Denmark when she married the future King Frederik VIII. They became part of the Royal Danish Family Foundation in 1910, meaning they could only be worn by the Queens of Denmark.

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The Brooches were rarely photographed until King Frederik IX acceded to the Throne in 1947, and they were worn by Queen Ingrid in one of her earliest portraits as Queen, with the

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Like she wore her Ruby Bow Brooch with the Danish Ruby Parure, Queen Ingrid preferred to wear Queen Josefina’s Diamond Brooches with the Floral Aigrette Tiara, like she did at the Wedding of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark, and with her other diamond jewels, like the Greek Monarchy Centenary Gala and the Christening of her granddaughter, Princess Alexia of Greece, in 1965.

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After the death of King Frederik IX in 1972, Queen Josefina’s Diamond Brooches came into the procession of Queen Margrethe, who was worn them quite regularly since the 1980s, often with the Floral Aigrette Tiara and Dagmar Floral Tiara, including at King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 60th Birthday, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Golden Wedding Anniversary, her 60th Birthday, and the Pre-Wedding Gala of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

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Most recently, Queen Margrethe paired Queen Josefina’s Diamond Brooches with the Nassut Tiara for Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th Birthday Gala Dinner at Christiansborg Palace. There is no doubt we will continue to see these illustrious heirlooms for years to come.