Standing with her father, King Olav V, in this picture on her wedding day, Princess Astrid is wearing one of the Norwegian royal family’s most prized diadems: the Vasa Tiara, one of the most significant pieces in the Norwegian royal jewelry collection. The tiara was made in 1929 by Swedish court jeweler C.F. Carlman. As described by The Court Jeweller, the people of Stockholm gifted the sparkler to Märtha as a wedding present, collectively raising money to pay for it.
The Vasa Tiara contains 956 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 49.5 carats, set in platinum with stylized sheaf motifs representing the heraldic symbol of the House of Vasa, which ruled Sweden from 1523 to 1654. (Visitors to Stockholm might also be familiar with the Vasa Museum, home to the world’s best preserved 17th century ship.) While her sister Princess Raghnild wore it a few times, it was Princess Astrid who picked up the tiara from her mother and was seen wearing it frequently for official portraits, royal weddings, and state visits over the years.