Queen Mary has once again shown her flair for making historic jewels her own, proving royal style is not only about choosing suitable outfits.
The Danish queen was a guest at the 80th birthday celebrations of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf on April 30 and debuted a tiara that was far more than just a new addition to her jewellery portfolio.
And intriguingly, this latest piece isn’t expected to be the last of Denmark’s historic jewels to be repurposed by its Australian-born queen.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark on board the royal yacht Dannebrog ahead of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 80th birthday celebrations in Sweden. (The Royal House of Denmark)
The birthday gala was the largest gathering of foreign royalty in Sweden since the King’s 70th a decade before.
Among the invited guests were Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary, Norway’s King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon, Spain’s Queen Sofia, Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg and Thailand’s King Rama X and Queen Suthida.
When Queen Mary arrived for the banquet inside the Royal Palace in Stockholm last week, she wore a new gown by two of her long-time Danish designers Soeren Le Schmidt and Brigitte Hallstein.
But attention quickly turned to the sparkling diamonds on her head.
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Queen Mary wore a new gown by Soeren Le Schmidt and Brigitte Hallstein. (Getty)
It appeared to be a new tiara for Queen Mary, who is now able to wear many more important jewels after her husband Frederik X was proclaimed King of Denmark two years ago.
But the tiara was not what it seemed.
It was actually a bracelet that had been mounted upon a frame to allow it to be worn as a tiara for the night.
It is part of The Danish Royal Property Trust, a collection of pieces reserved for the queen’s use only. The trust was created by Frederik VIII and Queen Lovisa in 1910 to ensure important jewels would be passed down through the generations and not sold.
It was Queen Mary’s tiara that got the most attention, a piece that had been made from a bracelet with links to Sweden. (Getty)
Unlike the Danish Crown Jewels, the pieces in the Danish Royal Property Trust can be taken abroad to be used at gala events.
The bracelet was chosen by Queen Mary for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s birthday because of its special connection to Sweden.
The jewel was originally a wedding present from Oscar I of Sweden to Princess Louise of the Netherlands when she married his eldest son, the future Charles XV, in 1850, becoming Queen Lovisa of Sweden.
Lovisa died in 1871, aged just 42, and her jewels were inherited by her only surviving child, who was also named Lovisa. She married Denmark’s future King Frederik VIII and became known as Queen Lovisa in 1906.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wore the bracelet attached to a velvet choker including here in 2000. (WireImage)
It was in her will that she had declared the bracelet, and other important pieces, become part of what is now known as the The Danish Royal Property Trust which passes from monarch to monarch.
King Frederik X’s grandmother Queen Ingrid wore the bracelet often but her daughter Queen Margrethe II chose to have it mounted on a black velvet choker.
Since Mary became Queen in January, 2024, she has delved into the vaults to wear pieces that had previously been ignored or worn very little.
The stunning tiaras worn by Queen Mary of Denmark
Denmark’s Crown Jewels are on display inside the treasury at Rosenborg Castle, in Copenhagen, along with other historic jewels belonging to the royal family.
In December, 2024, she wore a new tiara that had been made using stones from the rose-cut diamond set of the Crown Jewels.
Aptly named the rose-cut diamond bandeau, the tiara was made with the large stones taken from a diamond belt.
Queen Mary had part of the Crown Jewels made into a new diamond bandeau. (Getty)
While diamond belts were once the height of fashion, along with other large jewels worn on the abdomen known as stomachers, such pieces had largely fallen out of favour.
Mary chose to have the belt re-fashioned into a tiara that could be worn throughout her husband’s reign.
It was the first time in more than 180 years that the Crown Jewels had been reworked in such a drastic fashion.
Queen Mary was photographed trying on the new tiara when it was repurposed in late 2024. (Danish Royal Household)
The Royal House of Denmark said Queen Mary was “resuming the old tradition of adapting the Crown Jewels to the demands and needs of the time”.
Months later, Mary would surprise again.
During a state visit to Finland in March last year, Queen Mary wore a tiara that had not been seen in public for 140 years.
The gold tiara was made in 1820 for Caroline Amalie, who was married to Denmark’s Christian VIII, who reigned from 1839 to 1848.
For a state visit to Finland, the queen wore a tiara that had not been seen in public in 140 years along with earrings and a brooch with a long history. (AP)
The 11-set gems were collected by her husband during the couple’s trip to Italy where they visited Rome and the excavations in Pompeii, among other places.
Mary also wore a bracelet, made of gold and decorated with semi-precious stones from the Vesuvius area, once owned by Denmark’s Princess Vilhelmine Marie in the 1800s.
Among Queen Mary’s other historic jewels seen at the state banquet in Helsinki was a pair of earrings and matching brooch with citrine, amethysts, pearls and diamonds from a parure that belonged to Frederik VII’s third wife, Countess Danner.
Mary first wore the jewels in November, 2024, when she unveiled a monument to the former commoner-turned countess.
Queen Mary clearly has a keen interest in Denmark’s historic jewels within the royal collection.
Norwegian historian and author Trond Norén Isaksen, who has written extensively on the historic jewels within the Scandinavian royal houses, believes Queen Mary is only getting started when it comes to repurposing old-to-new pieces.
“She does have a few more surprises up her sleeve,” he said, replying to comments on an Instagram post about Queen Mary’s bracelet-turned-tiara.
He was responding to user who praised Mary’s choice.
Queen Mary and King Frederik attended a service of thanksgiving for Sweden’s King before the evening gala. (Getty)
“Denmark used to be ‘light’ on tiaras, so so say,” the person said.
“The Mary became Queen and marched to vault: ‘lets see what we can turn into a tiara. That, that, and that.’ Hopefully there are many more under construction.”
Another commented: “Queen Mary has been quite innovative with the jewels in the Danish vaults”.
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