The King and Queen of Denmark headed to Christiansborg Palace this week for the opening of the nation’s parliament, and Queen Mary brought along some truly spectacular royal pearls for the occasion.
King Frederik X of Denmark arrived at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for the opening of the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament, on Tuesday. He was greeted by his mother, Queen Margrethe, and his aunt, Princess Benedikte on his arrival.
Accompanying King Frederik was his wife, Queen Mary of Denmark. She arrived wearing an autumnal ensemble in shades of berry, navy, and ivory.
Mary kept her jewelry minimal but impressive for the event, wearing heirloom pearls that have been part of the Danish royal family’s collection since the nineteenth century. Her pearl and diamond cluster earrings, which are usually worn with large pearl and diamond drops, were made by repurposing pendants from a necklace given to Queen Lovisa of Denmark. The necklace, offered by the Khedive of Egypt, was a present to mark Lovisa’s wedding to the future King of Denmark in 1869.
The classic pearl and diamond cluster brooch that Queen Mary pinned to her jacket also comes from Lovisa’s jewelry collection. It was originally the clasp on a pearl necklace, given to Lovisa as a wedding present by her new husband’s sister and brother-in-law, Emperor Alexander III of Russia and his Danish-born wife, Empress Marie Feodorovna.
Today, all of Lovisa’s pearls—the earrings and the cluster brooch, plus the original necklace, her pearl and diamond tiara, and her large pearl brooch—are often worn together as a married parure. The entire suite is part of the Danish Royal Property Trust, established by Lovisa in 1910. The jewelry in the trust passes from monarch to monarch to be worn by the Queen of Denmark. Above, Queen Mary wears the tiara, the complete earrings, and the cluster brooch in Oslo in May 2024.
Mary often adds a pearl ring to the jewelry ensemble as well, and she wore it on Tuesday for the opening of parliament, too.
The King’s mother and sister went for plaid ensembles on Tuesday. I’m no tartan expert, but Margrethe’s pattern looks like the Malcolm Modern tartan to me. (Someone more knowledgeable: please weigh in below.) Meanwhile, Benedikte opted for a colorful tweet jacket and a purple skirt.
Queen Margrethe wore an interesting brooch and earrings with her skirt suit for the occasion, all set with blue gemstones.
The floral earrings, made of silver and set with lapis lazuli, were originally made for her mother, Queen Ingrid. By the 1960s, they were in Margrethe’s collection, and she has worn them countless times in the decades since.
Her fleur-de-lis brooch has an even longer family history. The jewel, made of gold and set with diamonds and cabochon sapphires, was made for Queen Lovisa. It too is a part of the Danish Royal Property Trust, but at least for now it seems that it has remained in Margrethe’s jewelry box.
And here’s a look at the jewelry worn by Princess Benedikte with her colorful ensembles. She chose a double row of silvery pearls for the occasion, as well as modern earrings with bright pink cabochon gemstones and additional gemstone accents. I like the way the earrings pick up on the different colors in her jacket!
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