Princess Isabella wasn’t the only royal lady in Denmark celebrating a milestone birthday in April. Last week, her grandmother, Queen Margrethe, marked her 85th birthday with a public appearance and a glittering private dinner.
On April 16, Queen Margrethe, who reigned in Denmark for half a century before abdicating in favor of her elder son, King Frederik X, celebrated her 85th birthday with her family at Fredensborg Palace. In the morning, she joined her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and sisters on the steps of the palace to greet members of the public who had gathered to wish her well.
For the occasion, Margrethe wore a smart tartan skirt suit with several pieces of significant jewelry. She clipped on her gold and diamond Van Cleef & Arpels Waterfall Earrings, and on the lapel of her jacket, she added a pair of brooches. The top piece is a bright red flower pin, and the lower one is one of the special brooches made by Georg Jensen in 2022 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.
A few other royal ladies also wore interesting pieces of jewelry for the birthday appearance at the palace. Princess Isabella, Margrethe’s eldest granddaughter, wore amethyst earrings with a special brooch given to her by her grandmother. The triangular pearl and diamond brooch has a rare pink pearl pendant drop. The jewel originally belonged to Queen Alexandrine, who gave it to Margrethe as a baptismal present in 1940. In turn, Queen Margrethe gave the jewel to baby Isabella in 2007 to celebrate her baptism.
Queen Margrethe’s younger sisters, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie, were also on hand for the birthday greetings. Benedikte wore pearls and a colorful cluster brooch, while Anne-Marie opted for a sautoir-length station necklace and a butterfly brooch.
In the evening, a private banquet was held in Margrethe’s honor under the grand dome at Fredensborg. The table was decorated with newly-sprouted branches, on which a series of Easter eggs were suspended. These colorful eggs all feature designs and decorations made over the years by Margrethe herself.
The black-tie dinner was attended by a small group of family members (King Frederik, Princess Benedikte, and Queen Anne-Marie were the prominent royal guests) and friends. For the occasion, Queen Margrethe wore a favorite dress featuring a white lace bodice and a red skirt and sash.
She accessorized with a sentimental suite of jewelry that has been in her collection for more than thirty years. Margrethe’s late husband, Prince Henrik, gave her the pieces as a silver wedding anniversary present in 1992. The set, made by Torben Hardenberg, is made of gold and set with pearls, rubies, and diamonds. The demi-parure includes a necklace and a pair of earrings.
The set was recently included in the Golden Jubilee jewelry exhibition at Amalienborg. Here’s a closer look at the necklace from the set. Margrethe discussed the pieces in a 2022 documentary series, noting that the necklace in particular is “a piece of jewelry that I appreciate tremendously.”
And here’s a good, detailed view of the earrings. The pieces have a stark, modern design sensibility, a style particularly loved by both Margrethe and Henrik. Both images from the 2022 exhibition were shared with me by one of our lovely readers, Kim. (Thank you again!)
Princess Benedikte chose a deep pink dress with floral embroidery for her sister’s birthday, paired with diamond and amethyst pieces from her personal collection. Benedikte inherited some of her gorgeous amethysts from her late mother, Queen Ingrid.
Queen Anne-Marie wore one of her very favorite gala gowns, a ruched blue dress made from fabric with a bright metallic sheen, for the dinner. Her jewels included a diamond and sapphire floral necklace, which has been in her personal collection since the 1960s.
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