Schleswig-Holstein Tiara

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Marie-Alix, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein, who passed away on this day in 2021, at the age of 98. The Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe who married the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Princess Marie Alix wore this spectacular heirloom Diamond Tiara 25 years ago!

Born in 1923 in Bückeburg, Princess Marie Alix of Schaumburg-Lippe was the daughter of Prince Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe and Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg. She had a younger brother, Prince Georg-Moritz, whose untimely death in a car accident in 1970 left a deep mark on his sister. Her paternal grandparents were Prince Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe, who ruled the principality from 1893 until his death in 1911, and Princess Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg. Their eldest son, Adolf II—Marie-Alix’s uncle— was the last reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. Her maternal grandparentes were Friedrich August II, the last reigning Grand Duke of Oldenburg. and Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Marie Alix’s mother was the half-sister of Sophie Charlotte (born from her father’s first marriage to Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, she was a niece of Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught, and married in 1906 Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia, son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and sister of Nikolaus and Altburg of Oldenburg (who married, respectively in 1921 and 1922, Helena and Josias of Waldeck and Pyrmont—a niece and a nephew of Queen Emma of the Netherlands and of Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany) and first cousin of: Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece, Queen Juliana of the Neteherlands and Princess Woizlawa Feodora Reuss . Marie Alix was first cousin of: Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg, Duke Friederich August of Oldenburg (husband of Marie Cecilie of Prussia, he married as his second wife her sister-in-law, the widow Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen, mother of Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia), Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and Philipp-Ernst, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, as well as Eilika, Princess of Leiningen, and Guda, Princess of Wied.

Her father’s diplomatic career had a significant influence on the family’s life. His held posts abroad, which led the family to live in various cities, including Sofia, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Santiago de Chile. Marie Alix’s father, was involved in German diplomacy during the National Socialist regime, while her uncle, Prince Friedrich Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe, was a staunch supporter of Adolf Hitler. Having joined the National Socialist Party in 1929, Friedrich Christian became one of its speakers and worked closely with Joseph Goebbels, holding positions within the Ministry of Propaganda.

At the end of the Second World War, Marie-Alix was in Lensahn, in eastern Holstein, staying with her maternal relatives. It was during this time that she met Hereditary Prince Peter of Schleswig-Holstein, who would go on to become her husband. Peter and Marie Alix were third cousins, both descended from Prince Georg Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Peter was the third (and the only survivor) son of Wilhelm Friederich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He had two older brothers—Hans Albrecht (who died in action at the age of 27 in 1944) and Wilhelm Alfred (who died at the age of 7 in 1926)—and a younger sister, Marie Alexandra. His father was a son of Prince Friederich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (from 1931 Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, nephew of King Christian IX of Denmark) and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (sister of Empress Augusta Victoria of Germany). Among Peter’s aunts were: Victoria Adelaide, wife of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alexandrine Victoria, wife of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia (another son of Kaiser Wilhelm II), and Helena Adelaide, wife of Prince Harald of Denmark (and sister-in-law of King Christian X of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway). Peter was first cousin of: Friederich Josias, Prince of Saxe Coburg and Gotha; Princess Sybilla of Sweden; Hereditary Princess Caroline Mathilde of Denmark; Feodora, Princess Christian of Schaumburg Lippe and Alexandrine Louise, Countess Luitpold of Castell-Castell. Peter’s mother was the daughter of Ernst II, 7th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh—who was a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Her brother, Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, was married to Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark—the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and sister-in-law to Queen Elizabeth II.

The two were married in 1947 at Glücksburg Castle, subsequently settling on the Gut Bienebek estate in Schleswig-Holstein. Their eldest child, Princess Marita, was born in 1948. She was followed by Christoph (1949–2023), Alexander (born 1953), and Ingeborg (born 1956).

In the summer of 1954, Hereditary Princess Marie-Alix, together with her husband, Hereditary Prince Peter of Schleswig-Holstein, took part in one of the most unique events in the post-war social history of European royal families: the famous “Cruise of the Kings”, organized by King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. The House of Schleswig-Holstein was also represented by Peter’s cousin, Prince Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife, Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Furthermore, Peter and Marie-Alix found themselves in the company of Peter’s uncle and aunt, Prince Gottfried and Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe Langeburg, and their children: Kraft, Andreas, and Beatrix, in addition to many other royal relatives. Two years later, Queen Frederica wished to repeat the experience, organizing a second royal cruise in the summer of 1956. On this occasion, too, Peter and Marie-Alix are among the guests, accompanied by Peter’s sister, Princess Marie Alexandra.

In 1965, upon the death of his father, Peter succeeded to the ducal title, and Marie-Alix became the Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein. Her life alongside her husband was, however, cut short in 1980, when the Duke passed away at the age of only 58. Their son, Christoph, then became the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and head of the House. He married Princess Elisabeth of Lippe-Weissenfeld in 1981 and the couple had four children: Sophie, Friedrich Ferdinand (the current head of the House, who represented the ducal family at the memorial service in honor of King Constantine II of Greece at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 2024), Constantin, and Leopold. In 1988, Marie-Alix, her son Christoph and his wife Elisabeth, her daughter Ingeborg, and their cousin Friederich Ferdinand, welcomed their distant cousin, then Prince of Wales—now King Charles III—to Glücksburg Castle.

Alongside her family duties and her role within the ducal household, Marie-Alix was actively engaged in social welfare. For many years, she served as vice-chair of the Schleswig-Holstein branch of the German Red Cross—an organization dedicated to healthcare, support for vulnerable individuals, and humanitarian aid. Another fundamental chapter in Marie-Alix’s life concerned education. From 1949, she took part in the founding of the Louisenlund Foundation—an educational institution established by her father-in-law at Louisenlund Castle, a property belonging to the ducal family in Schleswig-Holstein. Over time, the school would gain an international reputation, placing a strong emphasis on academic education, personal growth, and preparing young people for the responsibilities of adult life.

The exact origin of this Diamond Tiara is not known, but it may likely be an heirloom from Princess Marie Alix own family, differentiating from the magnificent Diamond Bow Tiara of her mother-in-law, Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein.

The Diamond Tiara was notably worn by Princess Marita of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Glücksborg, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess, for her Wedding to Baron Wilfried von Plotho in 1975.