Princess Ragnhild’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch

Happy Birthday to Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, who turns 53 today! The once controversial single mother set to be the future Queen of Norway, who is now suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and recently had a lung transplant, after featuring all of her Jewels a few years ago, we are revisiting on Princess Ragnhild’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch!

Of unknown provenance, this antique Diamond and Pearl Brooch likely comes from the collection of Queen Maud of Norway, though she seems to have not been photographed in this piece. Since it was worn before the division of the jewels of Queen Maud and Crown Princess Märtha in the late 1960s, once can conclude that it would have been among the wedding gifts of Princess Ragnhild in 1953.

Princess Ragnhild was first pictured wearing the Diamond and Pearl Brooch in the 1950s, with notable appearances during the British State Visit to Norway in 1955 and also at the Wedding of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway in 1968.

Princess Ragnhild wore the Diamond and Pearl Brooch through the 1980s and 1990s, paired with the Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara or Queen Maud’s Diamond Tiara, for a variety of occasions including King Harald’s 50th Birthday in 1987, Crown Prince Haakon’s Confirmation in 1988, Crown Prince Haakon’s 18th Birthday in 1991, and for King Harland and Queen Sonja’s Silver Anniversary in 1993.

In 2001, the Pearl and Diamond Brooch was worn with the Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara for the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in Oslo, and the following year for the Wedding of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway in Trondheim before the final appearance for a Swedish State Banquet in 2005.

After Princess Ragnhild’s death in 2012, the Diamond and Pearl Brooch seems to have been among the jewels returned to the Norwegian Royal Vaults and not retained by her children. While Princess Ragnhild’s children presented Princess Ingrid Alexandra with Princess Ingeborg’s Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara, King Harald and Queen Sonja gifted their granddaughter with several other heirloom jewels on her 18th Birthday in 2022, while the Diamond and Pearl Brooch seems to have been given to their daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore Princess Ragnhild’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch at the Funeral of Pope Francis before it was worn for Constitution Day a few days later.

Princess Ragnhild’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch was also notably worn by Crown Princess Mette-Marit for the French State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo as well as for the Parliament Gala at the Royal Palace of Oslo.

More recently, Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the Diamond and Pearl Brooch for the Belgian State Visit to Norway and also for Norwegian Constitution Day. There is no doubt it will be worn for years to come!