It’s a very big royal day in Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf is celebrating his 80th birthday, and royal family and friends from around the world have descended on Stockholm for the celebrations.
The day began with a service of thanksgiving at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, with the King and Queen, plus all of their children and grandchildren, foreign heads of state, and royal relatives and friends in attendance.
Next, the guests moved out to the palace courtyard, where the Swedish Armed Forces mounted a tribute to their sovereign. Guests peered out from the balcony, windows, and a dais below. Afterward, they all traveled to Stockholm’s City Hall for a luncheon.
There were plenty of interesting jewels to enjoy on all of the royal ladies in attendance. They generally opted for an elevated version of traditional daytime jewelry pieces. Here, Queen Silvia of Sweden wears a string of large pearls and heirloom pearl drop earrings from the royal vaults. Her brooch, a diamond and pearl ivy leaf, originally belonged to the King’s great-grandmother, Victoria of Baden. She also wore her husband’s Royal Family Order, a portrait badge on a Seraphim blue ribbon.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore military dress for the Te Deum service and the courtyard celebration that followed, reflecting last year’s promotion in rank.
She changed into a white tweed ensemble for the luncheon at City Hall, accessorized with her father’s Royal Family Order and a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings.
Princess Estelle, second in line to the Swedish throne, borrowed a pair of earrings from her mother’s jewelry box for the occasion.
Princess Madeleine wore sparkling stud earrings and a diamond tennis necklace, plus her father’s royal family order, for the daytime events on Thursday.
And beneath that hat, Princess Sofia of Sweden wore her father-in-law’s Royal Family Order with a special pair of diamond drop earrings. The earrings are made from drops that were once part of a stomacher that belonged to Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway. Sofia memorably wore them on her wedding day in 2015.
The King’s sister, Princess Christina, wore her brother’s Royal Family Order and a suite of modern jewels made of yellow gold, diamonds, and pearls.
There were plenty of relatives from out of town in Stockholm for the big celebrations as well. Queen Mary of Denmark was elegant in her diamond flower earrings, which she purchased from a Bruun Rasmussen auction several years ago.
Her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, is a first cousin of the King of Sweden. Appropriately, Margrethe wore her Diamond Daisy Brooch, which is set with diamonds that belonged to their shared grandmother, Crown Princess Margaretha of Sweden. She also added the matching daisy earrings to her ensemble for the occasion.
Margrethe’s little sister, Princess Benedikte, also paid tribute to their Swedish ancestors with her jewelry. She wore a pearl necklace and pearl and diamond cluster earrings, plus two of the diamond star brooches that belonged to their great-grandmother, Victoria of Baden.
Queen Sonja of Norway, pictured here during the luncheon at City Hall, brought along one of her demi-parures of modern jewelry to the event. This one features large beads drilled and set with smaller gems.
Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg wore personal jewels for the occasion rather than dipping into the collection of pieces that belonged to her husband’s great-grandmother, the Swedish-born Queen Astrid of Belgium. She chose the Lannoy Diamond Earrings, which come from her family’s collection, instead.
Queen Suthida of Thailand glittered from head to toe during the daytime celebrations. Her jewelry ensemble included a major pair of earrings with pale yellow stones, a modern brooch, and a gorgeous jewel-encrusted belt.
The princely family of Liechtenstein was represented by Hereditary Princess Sophie and her eldest son, Prince Wenzel. She paired sparkling earrings with her blue hat and tweed coat for the occasion.
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, greeting the Queen of Denmark here, wore a pair of floral cluster earrings with dark gemstone centers. (Sapphires?)
There were also several members from former reigning houses in attendance. Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, wore pearls, including a gorgeous antique diamond and pearl brooch.
Katherine, the wife of Alexander of Serbia, wore pear-shaped earrings with pale blue gemstones set in a diamond border. (Aquamarines? Opals?)
Her daughter-in-law, Danica, opted for simple gold and diamond hoop earrings for the occasion.
Kelly of Saxe-Coburg-and Gotha also wore pale blue for the service. She accessorized with classic diamond and pearl drop earrings, plus the miniature ribbon of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order.
And here’s Ursula of Bavaria, wearing a red coat with a black headpiece and veil, plus diamond and pearl drop earrings, a pearl necklace, and a lovely diamond bow brooch.
I’ll see you back here later today with the tiaras worn for tonight’s birthday gala!
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