Today marks the 120th Anniversary of the Birth of Countess Elsa von Rosen, Princess Bernadotte, who was born on this day in 1904! The Swedish Aristocrat who married a Prince that relinquished his succession rights and became the aunt of King Harald V of Norway, King Baudouin and King Albert II of Belgium, and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg, unlike her prominent sisters-in-law, Countess Elsa received few royal heirlooms from her mother-in-law, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, which included Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch!
Von Rosen Tiara | Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch | Diamond Bracelet Bandeau | Sapphire Suite
When Princess Lovisa of Sweden married the Crown Prince of Denmark in 1869, she brought so many jewels to Denmark from Sweden that “if they were all laid out on a card table, you could not see the fabric underneath”. Among the jewels was this Pearl Brooch with three pearl pendants, which was depicted in a portrait by Amalia Lindegren in the 1870s. Eventually, the Brooch was inherited by Queen Lovisa’s daughter, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden.
When Princess Ingeborg’s only son, Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland, married Countess Elsa von Rosen in 1937, the bride received Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch, which she wore as a Pendant on their Wedding Day. Prince Carl relinquished his succession rights and title upon their marriage, but was given the title of Prince Bernadotte in the Belgian nobility by his brother-in-law, King Leopold III of the Belgians.
Prince Carl and Countess Elsa divorced in 1951, and that year, Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch was worn by Princess Margaret of Denmark and Bourbon-Parma for the Wedding of her son, Prince Michel, to Princess Yolande de Broglie in 1951. Princess Margaret was the first cousin of Princess Ingeborg and sister-in-law of Prince Carl’s sister, Princess Margaretha.
In 1960, Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch was worn by Countess Madeleine Bernadotte for the Civil Wedding of Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, though we have been unable to find any images, and it was also worn by Countess Elsa for the Christening of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in 1979.
At some point Countess Madeleine gave Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch to her father’s third wife, Princess Kristine Bernadotte, who wore it as a Pendant without the Pendant Pearls for the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in Oslo in 2001.
Princess Kristine Bernadotte also wore Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Pendant with her Tiara for King Harald’s 70th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2007. Following her death in 2014, it Is believed that the Pearl Brooch has gone back to her step-daughter, Countess Madeleine, but has not been publicly worn. Lets hope we see it worn again soon!
Von Rosen Tiara | Queen Lovisa’s Pearl Brooch | Diamond Bracelet Bandeau | Sapphire Suite
A huge credit to Claes on RJWMB for their amazing research!
