Floral Aigrette Tiara

Happy Birthday to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who celebrates her 84th Birthday today! The exuberant Danish Sovereign for 52 years until her Abdication earlier this year, Queen Margrethe has worn many splendid Heirlooms from the Swedish, British and German Royal Families, but one of her favourite jewels has been the Floral Aigrette Tiara!

The Diamond Tiara is composed of three flexible Diamond Floral elements set with en-tremblant Diamond Flowers, which date from around 1850. The exact origin of these jewels is unknown, but it was originally stated that they belonged to Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

When Grand Duchess Anastasia passed away in 1922, the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Family had just been deposed, and around that time, the Floral Aigrette Tiara and other jewels including two diamond riveres and two diamond bracelets (a similar one also from Grand Duchess Anastasia was also auctioned in 2001), were acquired by Danish Opera Singer Lauritz Melchior, being worn by his wife, Maria Melchior, in a variety of configurations for portraits and events.

In 1957, the Tiara is reported to be among the jewels stolen from the Melchior Home by three armed robbers in Los Angeles, which were recovered four days later and reclaimed by Lauritz and Maria Melchior.

After Maria’s death in 1963, the Floral Aigrette Tiara and the other jewels from Grand Duchess Anastasia were put up for sale by Lauritz Melchior, being acquired by jeweller A. Michelsen.

The Danish-American singer Lauritz Melchior has offered a precious collection of jewellery that belonged to King Frederik’s mother, Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The price is approximately DKK 365,000. Lauritz Melchior bought the jewellery almost 40 years ago in Germany as a gift for his newly married wife. After her death this winter, Melchior decided to dispose of the jewellery together, so that they can remain Danish property, A few years ago, the jewellery collection was the centerpiece of a shop. Masked gangsters gained access to the tenor’s Los Angeles villa, bandied the Melchior family and disappeared with the jewellery.

The Floral Aigrette Tiara and the two Diamond Rivières were acquired by King Frederik IX of Denmark, the grandson of Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as a gift for Queen Ingrid, who first wore the Tiara for the Danish State Visit to France in 1965 and and then for Belgian State Visit to Denmark in 1966, when it was paired with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure.

Queen Ingrid most notably paired the Floral Aigrette Tiara with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure for the Wedding of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark in 1967.

Queen Ingrid also wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for King Frederik IX’s 70th Birthday Banquet at Christiansborg Palace in 1969, again paired with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure.

Along with the Danish Ruby Parure and the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, Queen Ingrid retained the Floral Aigrette Tiara, which she wore for the Norwegian State Visit to Denmark in 1974 and the Swedish State Visit to Denmark in 1975.

In 1985, Queen Ingrid passed along the Floral Aigrette Tiara to her elder daughter, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who notably wore it with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure for an Official Portrait, during a State Visit to Sweden, and for Crown Prince Frederik’s 18th Birthday Gala in 1986.

Since the 1990s, Queen Margrethe has rarely worn Floral Aigrette Tiara in its traditional format, preferring the versatility of the tiara, saying:

I like wearing it slightly differently from time to time, and I think my hairdresser enjoys doing it like that, too.”

Queen Margrethe notably wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for the Norwegian State Visit to Denmark and Crown Prince Haakon’s 18th Birthday in 1991, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik’s 25th Wedding Anniversary and the Danish State Visit to Norway in 1992, Princess Benedikte’s Silver Wedding Anniversary and King Harald and Queen Sonja’s Silver Wedding Anniversary in 1993, and Prince Henrik’s 60th Birthday Banquet in 1994, usually pairing the Tiara with pieces from her Antique Diamond Parure.

In 1995, Queen Margrethe wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for the Wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark and Alexandra Manley, paired with pieces of the Danish Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure.

Queen Margrethe also wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 60th Birthday in 1997, the Wedding of Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth and the Jordanian State Visit to Denmark in 1998, Queen Margrethe’s 60th Birthday in 2000, Queen Margrethe’s Banquet at the Natural History Museum in London in 2000, and the Danish State Visit to Thailand in 2001.

Repeating her mother’s choice, in 2004, Queen Margrethe paired the Floral Aigrette Tiara with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure for the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson.

A week later, Queen Margrethe wore one of the elements of the Floral Aigrette Tiara for the Wedding Gala of Grown Prince Felipe of Spain at the El Pardo Palace in Madrid, and also wore the Tiara for Prince Henrik’s 70th Birthday Banquet in 2004, the Swedish State Visit to Denmark in 2007, and Prince Henrik’s 75th Birthday Banquet in 2009 among numerous State Banquets and Gala Dinners.

After being worn with the Danish Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure for her 75th Birthday Banquet in 2015, Queen Margrethe wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th Birthday Banquet in 2017 and a Banquet at Christiansborg Palace in 2018, paired with pieces from her Antique Diamond Parure.

In 2022, the Floral Aigrette Tiara was displayed in the ‘A Queen’s Jewelry Box/En Dronnings Smykkeskrin‘ Exhibition at the Amalienborg Palace Museum to mark Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee, when it was revealed that the Tiara belongs to the entailed Løsørefideikommis, the Danish Royal Property Trust which belongs to the Danish Crown and while it cannot be sold or dismantled and is for the sole use of the Danish Queen, it is allowed to be taken out of Denmark and worn abroad, unlike the Danish Crown Jewels.

Most recently, Queen Margrethe wore the Floral Aigrette Tiara for Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Gala Performance at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where we saw it glittering as Queen Margrethe arrived for the Gala.

Following the Abdication of Queen Margrethe II and the Proclamation of King Frederik X in January, the Floral Aigrette Tiara is among the jewels that have passed on to Queen Mary, who has yet to wear it, but there is no doubt that the Tiara will be worn for Official Portraits or next month’s State Visits to Denmark and Norway.

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One thought on “Floral Aigrette Tiara”

Regal Events says:

April 16, 2024 at 8:17 am

Great article! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Queen Mary (now that she are able to wear it) took the tiara with her to either Sweden or Norway for the upcoming State Visit?! It is definitely a piece worthy of a Queen. If it happens it would probably be for the visit to Norway as I am pretty sure the Queen will wear the Nassau Pearl tiara in Sweden (I hope). Only one thing regarding the events listed where Queen Margrethe wore this glittering and versatile piece: I believe that the Queen actually wore the Baden Palmette tiara for Prince Henrik’s 70th birthday banquet in 2004 and not this tiara.

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