Tomorrow marks the 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, who was born in 1901! The Swedish Princess who married her Norwegian Cousin, she was given and inherited spectacular heirlooms Jewels from the Swedish, Danish, and British Royal Families, which included this magnificent Turquoise and Diamond Necklace!
Emerald Parure | Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara | Vasa Tiara | Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara | Diamond Bracelet Bandeau | Silver Anniversary Earrings | Turquoise Necklace | Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Art Deco Diamond Bracelet | Pearl Earrings
When Princess Louise of Sweden married the Danish Crown Prince in 1869, she had brought so many jewels to Denmark that “if it was all laid out on a card table, you could not see the fabric underneath”, while from her parents-in-law, King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark, she received this striking Turquoise and Diamond Necklace, which can be worn with and without the Pendants and also in a longer format, as revealed by Trond Norén Isaksen.
The necklace and the matching earrings were in fact a wedding present from King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark to Princess Louise of Norway and of Sweden when she married their eldest son, the future King Frederik VIII, in July 1869. Louise – King Haakon’s fabulously wealthy but unhappy tyrant of a mother – had a huge jewellery collection.
Following Queen Lovisa’s death in 1926, the Turquoise and Diamond Necklace was inherited by her son, King Haakon VII of Norway, who gave it as a Wedding Gift when his niece, Princess Märtha of Sweden, also a granddaughter of Queen Lovisa, married Crown Prince Olav of Norway in 1929.
Princess Märtha first wore Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise and Diamond Necklace with the Vasa Tiara for her Wedding Gala Performance at the Nationaltheatret (National Theatre) in Oslo.
The following year, Crown Princess Märtha wore Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise and Diamond Necklace for the Christening of Princess Ragnhild and also for King Haakon VII’s Silver Jubilee Gala in 1930.
By the later 1930s, Crown Princess Märtha wore the Turquoise Necklace without the pendants and in a longer version with Princess Ingeborg’s Turquoise Star Tiara for a Gala in London in 1937, King Gustaf V’s 80th Birthday in 1938, and the 1939 Tour of the United States.
By the early 1950s, Crown Princess Märtha gave Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise Necklace to her daughter, Princess Astrid, wore wore it with the Vasa Tiara for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and the Coronation Gala at Covent Garden.
After Crown Princess Märtha’s death, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Princess Astrid began wearing Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise and Diamond Necklace with Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Tiara, with notable appearances during King Olav’s 70th Birthday in 1973, the Swedish State Visit to Norway in 1974, King Olav’s 75th Birthday in 1978, the British State Visit to Norway in 1981, the Spanish State Visit to Norway in 1982, King Olav’s 85th Birthday in 1988, and King Harland and Queen Sonja’s Silver Anniversary in 1993.
Princess Astrid has continued to wear the Turquoise and Diamond Necklace with Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Tiara over the folliwnf years, including for the British State Visit to Norway in 2001, the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in 2001, an Official Visit to the UK in 2005, the Norwegian Centenary Ball at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2005,
More recently, Princess Astrid has continued to wear Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Tiara with Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise and Diamond Necklace for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th Birthday Banquet in 2017, the Diplomatic Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2019, Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th Birthday Banquet in 2022, the Danish State Visit to Norway in 2024, the French State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2025, and most recently the Diplomatic Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo earlier this year. There is no doubt we will continue to see this Royal Heirloom for years to come!
Emerald Parure
Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara
Vasa Tiara
Diamond Bracelet Bandeau
Queen Lovisa’s Turquoise Necklace
Diamond Chandelier Earrings
Art Deco Diamond Bracelet
Pearl Earrings
Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara
Turquoise Star Tiara
Turquoise Daisy Bandeau
Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Circlet
Vasa Tiara
The Norwegian Emerald Parure
Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara
Princess Astrid’s Ruby Aigrette Tiara
Princess Astrid’s Gold Bandeau Tiara
Princess Astrid’s Diamond Aigrette Tiara
Queen Sophia’s Diamond Bracelet Bandeau
The Norwegian Emerald Parure
Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara
Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Diamond Circlet
Diamond Daisy Bandeau
Norwegian Amethyst Parure
Vifte Tiara
Princess Ingeborg’s Boucheron Pearl Tiara
Ruby Heart Pendant
Diamond Rivière
Crown Princess Märtha’s Pearl Earrings
Queen Maud’s Order of Victoria and Albert Bracelet
Art Deco Diamond Bracelet
Pearl Pendant Earrings
King Olav’s Gift Tiara
Modern Gold Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Turquoise Circlet
Vasa Tiara
Queen Maud’s Diamond Tiara
Princess Astrid’s Ruby Aigrette Tiara
Princess Astrid’s Gold Bandeau Tiara
Queen Sophia’s Diamond Bracelet Bandeau