Danish Royal Family’s Portrait Orders

There has been much speculation in recent months about the Royal Family Order of King Charles III, but when Crown Prince Frederik becomes King Frederik X on the Abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark tomorrow, following a 52-year Reign, we can now also await the new King’s Order Portrait ’Ordensportrættet’.

Abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark | Proclamation of King Frederik X of Denmark

The Jewels of the Queens of Denmark | Order of the Elephant | Danish Royal Family’s Portrait Orders

History

The ‘Ordensportrættet’ has been a tradition in the Danish Royal Family since the 18th century, that female members of the Danish Royal Family wore the miniature portrait of the Sovereign in a diamond frame on their left shoulder. Before the Royal Ladies were able to receive the Order of the Elephant, the Ordensportrættet was usually their primary insignia, which is suspended from white silk moiré with red borders, the national colours of Denmark.

In Denmark, rather than wearing the insignia of various Sovereigns, the Royal Ladies only wear the Ordensportrættet of the Sovereign that is their closest relation, with the portraits changing for only the new Queen Consort.

Unlike the Royal Family Orders in many other nations, where Royal Ladies receive each Sovereign’s Portrait in new diamond frames, in Denmark, they use the same frames through the different reigns, and just replace the Portraits, thus the frames themselves are even more notable than the portrait.

Antique Diamond Frame

The most spectacular antique Diamond Frame for the Ordensportrættet belongs to the Løsørefideikommis and is over 200-years-old, originating from Empress Amelie of Brazil, having gone to her sister, Queen Josefina, in Sweden, and then coming to Denmark though her granddaughter, Queen Lovisa. The Frame is set with 18 brilliant-cut diamonds and topped with a Crown, and contains a portrait of King Frederik IX from 1947, which Queen Margrethe retained throughout her Reign.

Created by The Royal Watcher, not the actual Order Portrait

The Jewels of the entailed Løsørefideikommis, the Danish Royal Property Trust, belong to the Danish Crown and cannot be sold or dismantled, reserved for the sole use of the Danish Queen, so this antique Diamond Frame will pass to the soon-to-be Queen Mary and will soon contain the Portrait of King Frederik X. Until their daughters reach the age of majority, Queen Mary will be the only recipient of King Frederik X’s Ordensportrættet.

Queen Mary of Denmark is wearing the historic ’Ordensportrættet’ set with King Frederik’s Portrait with the Danish Emerald Parure for her first Official Gala Portraits taken by Steen Evald in the Green Room at Christiansborg Palace.

Crown Princess Mary

Crown Princess Mary currently wears an Ordensportrættet with a portrait of Queen Margrethe II in a Frame surrounded by pearls and small Maltese crosses in diamonds, that used to previously be worn by Queen Margrethe with her father’s portrait.

Princess Marie

Queen Margrethe gave the Portrait Order to her daughter-in-law, Princess Marie, in 2012, a few years after her wedding to Prince Joachim. Unlike the other portraits which include a painting, Princess Marie’s Ordensportrættet has a photograph within the pearl and diamond frame.

Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg

The first Ordensportrættet awarded by Queen Margrethe was two decades into her reign, when she presented it to her first daughter-in-law, Princess Alexandra, on the occasion of her wedding to Prince Joachim in 1995. Countess Alexandra has retained the Portrait Order since her divorce and has worn it for gala events in recent years, most recently at her Golden Jubilee Gala, where we saw her glittering in person.

Queen Louise’s Diamond Frame

After giving the antique Diamond Frame to Queen Mary, Queen Margrethe will likely wear the Diamond Ordensportrættet Frame that was worn by her mother, Queen Ingrid, that already includes a portrait of King Frederik IX of Denmark. The Frame was previously worn by Queen Louise and Queen Alexandrine.

Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece both wear small Ordensportrættets with Pearl and Diamond Frames. The Princess wears the Order with the Grand Commander Badge of the Order of Dannebrog while Queen Anne-Marie only wears the Portrait Order on occasions in Denmark, usually paired with the Commemorative Badge of the Centenary of the Royal House of Greece.

Other Recipients