The Queen of Denmark Sparkles in Her New Tiara in Copenhagen

On Friday, our sparkling week of tiaras continued with a state banquet in Denmark, where Queen Mary, Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte brought us a trio of dazzling diadems.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark welcomed President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt to Copenhagen on Friday. The royal couple greeted their presidential guest at Christian VII’s Palace in the Amalienborg complex. For the welcome ceremony, Queen Mary wore a gray and green ensemble with pearl earrings and a special diamond brooch. The brooch is thought to have been a gift to Mary from her late father-in-law, Prince Henrik.

This appearance seems to help confirm that provenance, as Prince Henrik loved to visit Egypt, vacationing there annually in the later years of his life. In his speech at the banquet on Friday evening, King Frederik noted, “The ties between our countries go back a long way, and my own family has brought back fond and lasting memories from your beautiful country for several generations. Not least my father, Prince Henrik, who had a great love for Egypt, which was also his last destination.” Henrik made his final trip abroad to Egypt in January 2018. After falling ill during that visit, Henrik returned to Denmark, where he passed away that February.

The state banquet where Frederik delivered those remarks was held on Friday evening at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. Here, King Frederik and Queen Mary greet President Al Sisi ahead of the dinner.

Both Frederik and Mary wore new Egyptian decorations with their gala ensembles. Frederik wore the collar of the Order of the Nile with his uniform, while Mary wore the sash and star of the Order of the Virtues among the decorations on her gown.

Mary also wore diamond jewelry with her gown, including a brand-new tiara that many of us expected might make an appearance at the dinner: the Danish Rose Diamond Bandeau.

The tiara is a newly-created setting for a cache of diamonds that have been with Denmark’s royal family since the eighteenth century. The rose-cut gemstones originally belonged to Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik IV, and they are now part of the Danish crown jewel collection. For centuries the diamonds have been set in a long girdle, meant to be worn around the waist of a corseted royal lady like a belt.

Recently, though, Queen Mary collaborated with experts from Denmark’s Royal Collection on a new bandeau-style tiara setting for the largest diamonds from the girdle. The royal court announced the creation of the new Rose Diamond Bandeau in a series of social media posts earlier this week. I guessed then that the timing of the announcement signaled that we might see Mary wear the completed tiara for the first time at the upcoming Egyptian banquet—something that turned out to be true.

Mary wore the tiara along with other diamond pieces, some of which are from her own personal collection and others that are reserved for the use of the woman who holds the title of Queen of Denmark. Her antique diamond earrings, which belong personally to her, were acquired through the Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen.

Here’s a clearer view of the diamonds from the catalogue produced at the time of the Bruun Rasmussen sale. Mary has found many opportunities to wear the earrings since adding them to her collection.

Mary also wore a special brooch with her new order sash. The diamond jewel is the top section of the Danish Ivy Brooch, which is part of the Danish Royal Property Trust. The brooch originally belonged to Hereditary Princess Caroline of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik VI.

Here’s a closer look at the full ivy brooch. Mary wore just the top section, which the Danish royal court describes as “a recumbent oval with a rosette and, in it, a large diamond encircled by ten smaller diamonds as well as diamond-adorned swirls.”

The King’s brother and sister-in-law, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, currently live in Washington, D.C. But Marie happened to be in Denmark for another scheduled engagement this week, so she was able to be present for the state banquet. She was also given the Order of the Virtues by the President of Egypt on Friday, and she wore the sash and star on a glittering green evening dress.

Marie’s jewelry for the banquet was a mix of antique and modern pieces. She wore her signature tiara, Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara, which has been her go-to jewel since her royal wedding in 2008. With the tiara, she wore diamond earrings from the designer Christine Hvelplund. She secured her order sash with her Trifari Tanjore Brooch, a costume piece which is said to have been a gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe.

Princess Benedikte, King Frederik’s aunt, wore a favorite red evening gown trimmed with fur for the banquet. Like her nieces-in-law, Benedikte also wore the insignia of Egypt’s Order of the Virtues. She too received the decoration in connection with this state visit.

Benedikte also accessorized with diamonds. She wore the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara with a diamond necklace, bracelet, and ring. The diamond star earrings and brooches that she also added to the ensemble are heirlooms from Queen Victoria of Sweden, Benedikte’s great-grandmother. The collection of stars can be worn as brooches, earrings, hair ornaments, or even pendants on a necklace.