Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Pendant

~ Saad719

Happy Birthday to Princess Marie of Denmark, who turns 43 today! The French born second wife of Queen Margrethe’s second son, Princess Marie attends a plethora of glittering Royal Events, but has relatively few heirloom jewels at her disposal. However among the jewels she does have is this versatile heirloom Sapphire Brooch/Pendant.

Composed of a large diamond ringed by cabochon sapphires and diamonds, from which a briolette diamond drop is suspended, this jewel dates from the latter half of the 19th century and must have been among the wedding gifts of Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, who had also received a Sapphire Parure and a Russian Sapphire Tiara.

Queen Alexandrine notably wore her Sapphire Brooch for a portrait in the early 1900s, as well as wearing the piece as a Pendant for the Confirmations of her sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Knud, at Fredensborg Palace in 1915.

Queen Alexandrine gave the Sapphire Brooch/Pendant to her daughter-in-law, Queen Ingrid, who possessed several Sapphire Brooches, like the Connaught Sapphire Brooch or the Flood Sapphire Brooch, but wore Queen Alexandrine’s Brooch for a State Visit to France in 1965, and as a Pendant on a State Visit to Ethiopia in 1970.

Queen Ingrid retained Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch during her widowhood, wearing the Brooch as a Pendant suspended from the Diamond Rivière for the Norwegian State Visit to Denmark in 1974 and a State Visit from her nephew King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 1975.

Queen Ingrid continued to wear Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch into her old age, like for the Norwegian State Visit to Denmark in 1991 or Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik’s 25th Wedding Anniversary in 1992.

After Queen Ingrid’s Death in 2000, Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch/Pendant was inherited by Queen Margrethe, who notably wore it for her cousin King Carl XVI Gustaf’s second State Visit in 2007, and also as a pendant, suspended from a metal chain.

It is suspected Queen Margrethe gifted Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch/Pendant to Princess Marie to mark the birth of Prince Henrik in 2009, as she first wore the piece, as a pendant, at the New Year’s Court in 2010, and has regularly worn the versatile heirloom at Gala events since then with Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara.

Princess Marie has worn Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch on numerous occasions over the years, among them Prince Joachim’s 50th Birthday Dinner.

More recently, Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch was also worn by Princess Marie for Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Service as well as the Danish New Year’s Banquet in 2025, with no doubt that this Royal Heirloom will be worn for years to come!

Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara

Flora Danica Tiara

Nuits Claires Tiara

Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch

Sapphire Earrings

The Jewels of the Queens of Denmark

The Danish Emerald Parure

The Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara

The Danish Ruby Parure

Danish Diamond Bandeau

Wedding Tiara

Diamond Necklace Tiara

Midnight Tiara

Danish Diamond Rivière

‘Belle Epoque’ Diamond Earrings

Duchess of Leuchtenberg’s Pearl Bracelet

Wedding Earrings

Diamond Fringe Earrings

Aquamarine Jewels

Amethyst Earrings

Queen Josefina’s Diamond Brooches

Connaught Sapphire Brooch

Queen Louise of Sweden’s Engagement Bracelet

Diamond Flower Brooch

Antique Turquoise Parure

Diamond Flower Earrings

Ole Lynggaard Brooch

This Brooch/Pendant, featuring a diamond cluster ringed by sapphires and diamonds, from which a briolette diamond drop is suspended, was first seen on Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, born Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in a portrait in the first decade of the 20th century. Queen Alexandrine owned many sapphire jewels, including a Sapphire Parure now with Queen Margrethe and a Russian Sapphire Tiara that was recently sold at Auction, most of which were wedding gifts, so it is safe to assume this Brooch/Pendant was another gift.

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After Queen Alexandrine’s death in 1950, unlike many of her other jewels, excepting her Ruby Bow Brooch, the Sapphire Brooch/Pendant was inherited and worn by her daughter-in-law, Queen Ingrid, who also retained it during her widowhood, most notably wearing the piece for a State Visit to France in 1965, a State Visit to Ethiopia in 1970, and a State Visit from her nephew King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 1974.

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After Queen Ingrid’s Death in 2000, Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch/Pendant was inherited by Queen Margrethe, who notably wore it for her cousin King Carl XVI Gustaf’s second State Visit in 2007, and also wore the piece as a pendant, suspended from a metal chain rather than the diamond riviere of her mother.

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Similar to how Crown Princess Mary got the Connaught Sapphire Brooch to mark Prince Christian’s birth, it is suspected Queen Margrethe gifted Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Brooch/Pendant to Princess Marie to mark the birth of Prince Henrik in 2009, as she first wore the piece, as a pendant, at the New Year’s Court in 2010, and has regularly worn the versatile heirloom at Gala events since then. With the addition of the new Mauboussin Nuit Claire/Lyse Naetter Tiara into her rotation, we will probably see the piece worn even more frequently.

2 thoughts on “Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Pendant”

  1. I think it’s so nice that Queen Margrethe had two heirloom brooches to offer each of her daughters-in-law on the birth of their respective first-born. Even though CP Mary’s brooch is divine, it is also significantly bigger, making this one is more wearable and more versatile. It can be worn as a brooch and as a pendant, giving Princess Marie more options- and we know she needs them! It’s such a coincidence that both Danish princesses are called “Mary/Marie” and that their birthdays fall within days of each other!

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