Tomorrow marks the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, who passed away in 1995! The Danish Princess who married her first cousin and was briefly set to become the next Danish Queen Consort, until being superseded by Queen Margrethe, Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde had inherited Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Fringe Tiara!
Like other Fringe Tiaras, this piece features diamond sunrays, another name for Fringe pieces, but with large spaces in between. Fringe Tiaras were popularized by Russian Grand Duchesses, with the style mimicking the traditional Russian Kokoshnik Headdress. Suitably, this Tiara was a gift from Tsar Alexander II to his niece, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, when she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1879.
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin notably wore her magnificent Diamond Fringe Tiara for a series of portraits taken in the 1880s, paired with ropes of pearls.
When Princess Alexandra of Hanover married Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1904, the bride received several spectacular jewels, including a Fabergé Aquamarine Tiara, a Köchert Diamond Choker/Tiara, and a Bolin Sapphire Necklace.
However, Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin notably wore the dense Diamond Fringe Tiara of Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna for some of her Official Portraits until the years leading up to the First World War.
The Grand Duke lost his Throne after the First World War, and after a period of exile in Denmark, the family retained their properties and much of their wealth, but that period of exile and the death of Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, who had lost several fortunes at the gambling tables in Cannes, necessitated the sale of several jewels, among them her Floral Aigrette Tiara and likely parts of the Diamond Fringe Tiara, as close observation shows missing elements between the diamond spikes.
The remaining portion of the Diamond Fringe Tiara was either bought or inherited by the Grand Duchess’ elder daughter, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, and was notably worn for a series of iconic portraits that continue to appear on Danish sardine tins to this day.
The Diamond Fringe Tiara was a favourite of Queen Alexandrine, being worn for the Wedding of Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Sweden in 1926, King Haakon VII of Norway’s Silver Jubilee in 1930, the Wedding of Prince Knud and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark in 1933.
Queen Alexandrine also wore her Fringe Tiara for the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden in 1935, King Christian X’s Silver Jubilee Banquet in 1937, and the Wedding of Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Feodora of Denmark in 1937.
Queen Alexandrine continued to wear the Diamond Fringe Tiara after being widowed, like when it was worn for King Gustav V’s 90th Birthday in 1948 and also King Haakon’s 80th Birthday in 1952, just a few months before her own passing.
After Queen Alexandrine’s death in 1952, her Fringe Tiara was passed along to her younger daughter-in-law, Hereditary Princess Caroline Mathilde, who wore the piece for the British State Visit to Denmark in 1957, Crown Princess Margrethe’s 18th Birthday in 1958, the Wedding of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark, and the Wedding of Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg among many other occasions.
Princess Caroline Mathilde continued to wear the Diamond Fringe Tiara to various New Year’s Courts, among them the Danish New Year’s Gala in 1974, Crown Prince Frederik’s 18th Birthday in 1986, and various Galas.
After Princess Caroline Mathilde’s death in 1995, Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara was inherited by her elder son Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, but sadly his wife, Countess Inge, passed away a few months later, and was never pictured in the piece. However, he loaned the Fringe Tiara to his sister, Princess Elisabeth, for a Gala in 1996.
When Count Ingolf remarried in 1998, Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe got a new wearer in Countess Susie, who debuted the Tiara at the Wedding of Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, and later also wore it for Queen Margrethe’s 60th Birthday in 2000, the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004, 70th Birthday in 2010, Queen Margrethe’s Ruby Jubilee Banquet in 2012, and Queen Margrethe’s 75th Birthday in 2015 among others.
More recently, Countess Susie has also worn Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara at Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th Birthday and Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Banquet in 2022. There is no doubt we will continue to see this heirloom Diamond Fringe Tiara worn for many years to come!
In the meanwhile, Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara is currently on display in the Amalienborg Palace Museum in Copenhagen.
