Is Danish Queen Margrethe’s jewellery box better than Queen Elizabeth’s? From the Emerald Parure Tiara to the Daisy Brooch originally created for a royal wedding, these are her most dazzling pieces

Jul 13 , 2021

Queen Margrethe of Denmark knows how to make an entrance, matching her dresses to pieces from one of the world’s most stunning royal jewellery collections. Photo: Getty Images

Statuesque and stylish, Queen Margrethe of Denmark is often the centre of attention when she appears at public events and formal occasions. The Danish monarch, who celebrated her 80th birthday last year, is also known for her passion for art, which is often expressed through her clothes. For example, she is known for wearing gowns in a variety of bold colours and dramatic styles that carry references to portraits of royal and aristocratic ladies from the past.

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The Danish queen’s jewellery box is also thought to rival that of England’s Queen Elizabeth. She can often be seen accessorising her outfits with an eclectic collection of pieces, mixing and matching from her own collection and the Danish crown jewels, which date back to Queen Sophie Magdalene in the mid-19th century.

Here are some of the Danish queen’s most ravishing pieces.

Ruby Horseshoe Brooch

The symbolically significant Ruby Horseshoe Brooch was gifted to the then Crown Princess Margrethe by her father King Frederik IX after the national referendum that made her the heir to the Danish throne in 1953. She also wore it when she announced her accession to the throne in 1972, and in a televised speech about the Covid-19 crisis in Denmark in March 2020.

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Daisy Brooch

The diamond-encrusted Daisy Brooch in the design of the national flower of Denmark was commissioned by Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden as a wedding gift for his only daughter Princess Ingrid, who married the future King Frederik IX of Denmark in 1935. The brooch’s diamonds came from his first wife and late mother of Princess Ingrid, Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden (nicknamed Daisy). Queen Ingrid loaned the brooch to the then Crown Princess Margrethe (also nicknamed Daisy) for her wedding in 1967. Queen Margrethe eventually received the brooch as a birthday present on her 60th.

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Emerald Parure Tiara

The grandest of Queen Margrethe’s tiaras is known as the Emerald Parure Tiara, part of the crown jewels and reserved for the most lavish royal events, such as the New Year’s Reception. Crafted by C.M. Weishaupt & Söhne, the tiara is set with hundreds of diamonds and 67 emeralds, the largest 26 of which date back to the early 18th century.

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Pearl Poiré Tiara

The queen wears the Pearl Poiré Tiara the most often – mostly on state visits overseas since custom dictates that pieces from the crown jewels cannot be taken outside Denmark. This tiara was commissioned by King Friedrich III of Prussia in 1825. It features 18 drop-shape (poiré in French) pearls dangling from diamond-set arches.

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Queen Margrethe wears her sapphire bling for a gala dinner at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. Photo: Getty Images

Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure

Queen Margrethe’s favourite pieces are said to be in the Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure, which includes magnificent sapphires passed down from the Romanovs, Russia’s ill-fated royal family. Queen Margrethe often wears the versatile pieces of the parure – including the tiara, necklace, pendant brooch and earrings – for formal gala events.

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Royalty

Queen Margrethe is known for adding artistic flourishes to her outfits with her jewellery collection, which is full of bright emeralds and sapphires
Some of the crown jewels can’t be worn outside Denmark, so the queen makes the most of local events – such as the New Year’s Reception