Tiara Thursday: Queen Margrethe’s Tiaras

Programming Note: As summer slows down, so does the blog. We'll be back on Monday.

As demonstrated in this week’s Tidbits post, Queen Margrethe is one of the most creative royals around. She selects and wears her jewels in creative ways, too, and she has a host of tiaras to play with. (As always, click the tiara name for more.)

The Danish Emerald Parure Tiara

Part of the Danish crown jewels, this tiara (and parure) is borrowed from public display at Rosenborg Castle when Queen Margrethe wants to use it. It’s only for use in Denmark and Margrethe has mainly stuck to using it for special events such as the New Year’s Court gala or big jubilee and birthday celebrations.

The Pearl Poire Tiara

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I group the Danish emeralds and this tiara of dangling pearls and a diamond frame as Margrethe’s two “big gun” tiaras, based on how she uses them. This one appears at the aforementioned extra special occasions and also at events like state banquets with other monarchies.

The Floral Aigrette Tiara

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Because it comes apart in three pieces, the Floral Aigrette Tiara offers Queen Margrethe (and her hairdresser) ample opportunities for creativity. She usually wears the top piece in a more upright position and the two side pieces flat against her hair; at other times, she'll use just one or two pieces to adjust to the appropriate level of formality.

The Baden Palmette Tiara

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The Baden Palmette's heart shapes have made it a natural choice for Queen Margrethe at a couple of royal weddings in addition to some state banquets and black tie tiara occasions.

The Danish Turquoise Bandeau

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Margrethe has an eclectic mix of turquoise jewelry at her disposal, both older pieces that go with this petite bandeau and newer pieces she received as gifts from her late husband (the brooch, necklace, and earrings above are these gifts). This small tiara has come in handy for some of her less formal state banquet occasions.

The Golden Poppies

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You can debate whether or not this falls in the tiara category, but no review of Queen Margrethe's headpieces would be complete without a mention of this...unique...item. It's perhaps the most Margrethe of all these pieces, since the Queen herself commissioned it from Danish artist Arje Griegst. The flowers can be worn individually as well.

The Naasut Tiara

Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset

This jubilee gift from Greenland, the newest tiara in the Queen's collection, is so perfectly suited to Margrethe's creative ways (see also: the Poppies above) that it's hard to imagine it worn by anyone else. It's still only been worn a few times.

Princess Marie's Diamond Floral Tiara

New Zealand Governor-General Office

Before Princess Marie's Floral Tiara was, well, Princess Marie's, it was in Margrethe's jewel box (and before that, in Princess Dagmar's). It's hard to tell apart from the Floral Aigrette. Perhaps that's why it was chosen as the perfect piece to loan to her new daughter-in-law in 2008.

The Alexandrine Drop Tiara

A former daughter-in-law was gifted Margrethe's 18th birthday tiara, and we still see it on Countess Alexandra when she attends big royal events.

The Khedive of Egypt Tiara

One final tiara is also not in Margrethe's collection, yet it played a crucial part in her tiara-wearing history: the Khedive, worn on her wedding day, as has become the tradition for Queen Ingrid's female descendants. It now belongs to Queen Anne-Marie.

Which one do you like most on Queen Margrethe?