Queen Margrethe of Denmark in the Pearl Tiara that only she is allowed to wear
These pearls really pack some punch. Apart from being huge and rather beautiful, they are part of a tiara that is traditionally reserved for the Queen of Denmark alone. And given the magnificence of the Poire Pearl Tiara, that's not too much of a surprise. As Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henri get set to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 10th, here's a look at Pearls for June from Denmark.
It gets its name from the shape of the pearls. You can't miss them. The pear shaped gems hang in arches made of diamonds but they outglitz the sparkles and then some. This tiara is all about the pearls.
Louise took it off to her new royal jewel vault. When she died, in 1870, she left it to her eldest daughter who had been christened Wilhelmina but who was known by the last of her middle names, Louise. She had been Queen of Sweden since 1859 but her reign was to be relatively short. This Louise died in 1871 and the tiara passed to her only daughter who was called, yes you've guessed it, Louise. She was Crown Princess of Denmark and the Poire Pearl Tiara arrived in what was to become its permanent home.
It has always impressed. The eighteen pearls are eye catching to say the least and the size of the piece gives it a sense of grandeur that make it truly regal. So perhaps it's no surprise that the third Louise, who became Queen of Denmark in 1906, made sure of its royal destiny. When she died, in 1926, she left it to the Danish Royal Property Trust which means it can't ever be sold or separated from the other pearl pieces it has been paired with through the years. This tiara will always belong to the Royal House of Denmark now.
It has been allowed on the heads of Crown Princesses from time to time but not in Margrethe's reign. The Poire Pearl Tiara is a truly impressive piece with a magnificent regal air to it. Pearls might be for June but this diadem is for queens alone.
It began life as many royal tiaras do, as a wedding present. The bride in question this time round was Princess Louise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie of Prussia, the youngest daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. When she married Prince Frederik of the Netherlands in 1825, dad got a Berlin jeweller to produce this impressive tiara for his youngest girl.
Louise took it off to her new royal jewel vault. When she died, in 1870, she left it to her eldest daughter who had been christened Wilhelmina but who was known by the last of her middle names, Louise. She had been Queen of Sweden since 1859 but her reign was to be relatively short. This Louise died in 1871 and the tiara passed to her only daughter who was called, yes you've guessed it, Louise. She was Crown Princess of Denmark and the Poire Pearl Tiara arrived in what was to become its permanent home.
There are no set rules that it must only be worn by a queen but it's usually the leading lady of the dynasty who does the honours. Margrethe II has used it for several big events, including a portrait for her 25th anniversary as queen, while her own mother, Queen Ingrid, and her grandmother, Queen Alexandrine, were rather fond of it too.
Photo credit: Kvasir79 via Flickr.
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