Today marks the 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Viggo of Denmark, who was born on this day in 1895! AN American Heiress who married a Danish Prince and posed many grand jewels, to mark the anniversary, we are taking a look at one of Princess Viggo’s jewels that had an illustrious provenance, her Opal Tiara.
Long believed to have been sourced from the Opal Tiara of her mother-in-law, Princess Marie, Trond Norén Isaksen has revealed that that this Tiara is in fact composed of moonstones, zircons and synthetic sapphires and was personally acquired by Princess Viggo from her own fortune like almost all of her jewels.
Princess Viggo notably wore her Moonstone Tiara and Parure for King Christian X of Denmark’s Silver Jubilee Banquet in Copenhagen in 1937.
Later that year, Princess Viggo also wore the Moonstone Tiara and Parure for the Wedding of Princess Alexandrine Louise of Denmark to Count Luitpold of Castell-Castell in 1937.
Princess Viggo also notably wore the Moonstone Tiara for a series of Official Portraits taken in the 1940s, but it was not worn as often as her other Tiaras over the following decades.
After the childless Princess Viggo’s death in 1966, her Jewels were divided between family members. Her Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara and Moonstone Tiara went to her nephew, Count Flemming of Rosenborg to be worn by his wife Countess Ruth, while a Diamond Scroll Tiara was inherited by his brother, Prince George. A Diamond Spike Tiara was inherited by another nephew, Count Christian of Rosenborg, while a Sapphire Parure was left to another niece, Queen Anne of Romania.
Countess Ruth notably wore the Moonstone Tiara for the Wedding of the future Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in Copenhagen in 1967.
Prince and Princess Viggo had no children and she gave the tiara to her husband’s nephew’s wife, Countess Ruth of Rosenborg (fifth photo), saying that her niece in the USA probably had no use for it.
The following year, the Moonstone Tiara was worn by Countess Ruth for the Wedding of the future King Harald of Norway in Oslo in 1968.
Countess Ruth also wore the Moonstone Tiara for King Frederik IX’s 70th Birthday Banquet in Copenhagen in 1969.
The Moonstone Tiara made a last prominent appearance when it was worn by Countess Ruth for King Olav V of Norway’s 75th Birthday Gala in 1978.
Over the next few decades, Countess Ruth preferred to wear Princess Viggo’s Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara or Princess Ingeborg’s Turquoise Star Tiara. After her death in 2010, the Opal Tiara and Parure were inherited by one of her sons, who have sold the Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara, but the other jewels still remain with the family. Lets hope we get to see this Heirloom worn again sometime soon!
Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara
Diamond Scroll Tiara
Diamond Spike Tiara
Moonstone Tiara
Sapphire Parure
Ruby Necklace
Princess Viggo’s Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara
Princess Ingeborg’s Turquoise Star Tiara
Diamond Tiara
Moonstone Tiara
Lava Parure
Diamond Floral Brooch
Floral Tiara
Turquoise Star Tiara
Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara
Khedive of Egypt Tiara
Pearl Poiré Tiara
Napoleonic Emerald Brooch
Diamond Floral Brooch
Emerald Parure
Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara
Turquoise Star Tiara
Gold Bandeau Tiara
Diamond Tiara
Pearl Brooch
Emerald Brooches
Princess Marie of Denmark wearing her Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/7boYJxxxpG
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020
Princess Marie of Denmark wearing her Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/7boYJxxxpG
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020Originally consisting of an elaborate spray of cabochon opals in an Art Nouveau style, the Tiara originated from Princess Marie of Orléans, daughter of the Duke of Chartres and Princess Françoise of Orléans, who was married to Prince Valdemar of Denmark, a brother of the King Frederik VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, in 1885. The couple had five children. Princess Marie was photographed wearing the Tiara in a series of official portraits along with an ornate Opal Choker, which still belongs to the Orléans Family.
Embed from Getty ImagesPrincess Viggo of Denmark wearing her Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/FsOLUbxw3E
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020
Princess Viggo of Denmark wearing her Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/FsOLUbxw3E
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020After Princess Marie’s death at the age of 44 in 1909, her Opal Tiara passed to passed to her fourth and youngest son Prince Viggo, whose wife, the American-born Princess Viggo reset the piece into a more sedate Tiara with a necklace and a pair of earrings, which she notably wore for an Official Portrait and at King Christian X’s Silver Jubilee in 1937. The couple had no children and after Princess Viggo’s death in 1966, many of her Jewels, like her Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara, went to her nephew, Count Flemming of Rosenborg, while her Diamond Scroll Tiara was inherited by his brother, Prince George, a faux copy of the Diamond Scroll Tiara was inherited by another nephew, Count Christian of Rosenborg, and a Sapphire Parure was left to another niece, Queen Anne of Romania.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images
Countess Ruth of Rosenborg wearing Princess Viggo’s Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/gwHcBmgsy7
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020
Countess Ruth of Rosenborg wearing Princess Viggo’s Opal Tiara: https://t.co/8FeTIlwYOH pic.twitter.com/gwHcBmgsy7
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 5, 2020Embed from Getty Images
The Opal Tiara also went to Count Flemming and was worn by Countess Ruth at many prominent events in the years following, including the Wedding of Queen Margrethe of Denmark in 1967, the Wedding of King Harald of Norway in 1968 and King Frederik IX’s 70th Birthday in 1969, at which point the Tiara seems to have been left in the jewellery box as Countess Ruth preferred to wear Princess Viggo’s Garnet Kokoshnik Tiara or Princess Ingeborg’s Turquoise Star Tiara. After her death in 2010, the Opal Tiara and Parure were inherited by one of her sons, who have sold the Garnet Kokoshnik, but the other jewels reportedly still remain with the family. Lets hope we get to see this family Heirloom worn again sometime soon!
Quite honestly prefer the original tiara. It lost all its charm and artistry from this remodel.
That’s something I’ve been hearing quite a lot! While the new version probably made it easier to wear, the original was quite a striking piece!
How can today be the 125th anniversary of the death of Princess Viggo’ when she was born on this day in 1895? Huh?
How can today be the 125th anniversary of Princess Viggo’s birth when she died on this day in 1895? Huh?
I never would have known it was an opal tiara if the article hadn’t made the claim. There wasn’t a single photograph on display that did justice to it, not even so much as a description of the beauty of the actual opals depicting the colors, the flash, the form and fire.