Princess Margriet’s Diamond Earrings

Happy Birthday to Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, who turns 81 today! King Willem-Alexander’s popular aunt, born in Canada during WWII, who is the last-in-line to the Dutch Throne, Princess Margriet has been a hard-working member of the Dutch Royal Family for over six decades, and has worn numerous spectacular heirloom jewels, though her personal collection includes these spectacular Diamond Earrings!

Each composed of a large diamond suspended within a extendable diamond scroll frame, attached by a cluster of diamonds, these spectacular Earrings were created at some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s, using Diamonds from an enormous Parure that was a wedding gift to Queen Wilhelmina, which had been broken up by Queen Juliana to create several new jewels, including these earrings, as well as pairs of earrings with Sapphire Earrings, and even larger sapphires. The new Sapphire and Diamond Jewels were created to be distributed between the four daughters of Queen Juliana, which these earrings coming into the collection of Princess Margriet, who began wearing them from the early 1970s. While most heirloom jewels of the Dutch Royal Family belong the family foundation, these appear to be private property, one of the few heirlooms personally owned by Princess Margriet.

These spectacular Diamond Earrings appear to have made their debut in 1973, when they were worn by Princess Margriet for the Royal Air Force Charity Ball at the Hilton Hotel.

Two years later, Princess Margriet also wore the Diamond Earrings for a Costume Gala at the Ohma Hotel in Mastenbroek.

The following year, the Diamond Earrings were paired with the Laurel Wreath Tiara for a State Banquet hosted by Queen Juliana for newlyweds King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Over the years, Princess Margriet was often pictured wearing these splendid Diamond Earrings at countless State Banquets and Gala Dinners, usually with the Laurel Wreath Tiara or Ears of Wheat Tiara, but also with Queen Emma’s Diamond Aigrette.

One of Princess Margriet’s most glittering annual appearances is the annual Peter Stuyvesant Ball, now renamed the Netherland-America Foundation Ball, in New York City, and she has worn the Diamond Earrings with one of the family Tiaras multiple times through the years.

In 2019, Princess Margriet wore the Diamond Earrings with the Mellerio Diamond Tiara and the Diamond Trellis Necklace for 38th annual Peter Stuyvesant Ball at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.

More recently, Princess Margriet wore the Diamond Earrings with the Laurel Wreath Tiara for the Italian State Banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in November 2022.

Just a few days later, Princess Margriet donned the Diamond Earrings with the Laurel Wreath Tiara for the Netherland-America Foundation Ball at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. Princess Margriet continues to be an active member of the Dutch Royal Family in her 80s and there is no doubt we will continue to see these Earrings worn for years to come!