Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch

Today marks the 93rd Death Anniversary of Queen Alexandra of Great Britain and the 80th Death Anniversary of her daughter, Queen Maud of Norway. To mark the occasion, as well as the birth anniversaries of Queen Alexandra and Queen Maud in the next few days, we are going to be featuring some of their jewels, staring with Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch.

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Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch features a diamond cluster with a pearl pendant, and was notably worn by the then Princess of Wales at the Wedding of her son, the Duke of York (future King George V), and Princess May of Teck in 1893, along with her Kokoshnik Tiara and her Wedding Gift Necklace, and in a portrait in 1895. It is unknown how Queen Alexandra acquired the piece, though it could have been a Silver Anniversary present in 1888.

After Queen Alexandra’s death in 1925, the Diamond and Pearl Brooch, along with the Maltese Circlet Tiara and Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Circlet, were inherited by her daughter, Queen Maud of Norway, who notably wore the brooch in a portrait in the early 1930s. A couple of years later, Queen Maud brought her jewels with her to England while she was having an operation, and where she passed away of heart failure. Queen Maud’s jewels remained in England, throughout the Norwegian Royal Family’s exile during WWII, and were only reclaimed during a visit for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. Soon afterwards, her daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Martha passed away, and the brooch remained in the vaults for years until the Norwegian Royal jewellery collection was divided up following the wedding of then Crown Prince Harald in 1968.

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Crown Princess Sonja of Norway

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Queen Sonja has worn the brooch for quite a lot of important occasions, including the christening of her first child, Princess Martha Louise, the Wedding of Princess Anne in 1973, and King Carl Gustav’s 50th Birthday. While not a favourite like Queen Maud’s Draper’s Company Brooch (coming soon), Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch has been worn for a number of notable events, and will no doubt be worn for years to come.

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