Princess Caroline’s Diamond Flowers

Happy Birthday to Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover, who turns 67 today! The elder sister of Prince Albert II and only beneficiary of her grandmother, Princess Charlotte, and mother, Princess Grace, who is also the estranged Consort of the Head of the illustrious House of Hanover, Princess Caroline has a magnificent jewellery collection, which includes these antique Diamond Flowers!

A spectacular series of antique Diamond Flower Brooches, consisting of a large devant-de-corsage set with large diamond flowers set ‘en tremblant’, a smaller diamond corsage Brooch, and a pair of large diamond flower earrings. These jewels originate with Princess Caroline’s grandmother, Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois, but they could be even older family heirlooms.

Princess Charlotte was not a fan of her daughter-in-law, Princess Grace, and thus did not pass on any jewels to her, leading the new Princess to establish her own jewellery collection. Inherited by Prince Rainier after Princess Charlotte’s Death in 1977, the Diamond Flower Brooches entered the ‘Palais Princier Collection’ and after Princess Grace’s death in 1982, the leading lady of the Princely Family was Princess Caroline, who began wearing them for Gala events.

One of the earliest appearances of Princess Caroline in the Diamond Flower Brooches came for a Gala in 1989, when they were arranged in a halo throughout her hair, with the earrings being worn for a couple of Red Cross Galas.

One of the more iconic appearances of the Diamond Flowers came in the Rose Ball in Monte Carlo in 1990, when Princess Caroline wore the large devant-de-corsage in her hair, along with the earrings, and the smaller corsage on her shoulder.

In 2004, Princess Caroline paired the Diamond Flower Earrings with the Hanoverian Floral Tiara and her Reed Stomacher for the the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in Copenhagen.

A few days later, the smaller diamond corsage brooch was worn for the the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Felipe of Spain at the El Prado Palace in Madrid.

Over the years, Princess Caroline has also worn parts of the Diamond Flower Brooches and Earrings to various National Day Galas and Balls, sometimes with her Reed Stomacher.

In 2011, Princess Caroline loaned the large Diamond devant-de-corsage to Charlene Wittstock for her Wedding to Prince Albert II of Monaco. Ahead of the Wedding, Princess Charlene told Vogue: