Posters of original research, analyses, insights etc retain all rights to their work. Such research etc cannot be used in any format without the written consent of the author.

Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara Posted by Kongetro on February 2, 2021, 4:29 am When going through some more details from the visit of Emperor Wilhelm II to Denmark in 1903 I was interested to see that Queen Alexandra was described as wearing emeralds at the gala concert on the third day. And it was not just an emerald necklace, but even an emerald tiara. As far as I know there are no photos out there of her wearing an emerald tiara. She did receive as a gift from Queen Victoria jewels which we know included emeralds. But I don't think a tiara was mentioned in that connection. So could this emerald tiara mentioned in the report from the visit in Denmark be the one originating with Queen Victoria and later ending up with the Fife family? Or could it be that she was lent the emeralds in the Danish collection? If it was emeralds brought over from the UK she must have brought a fortune with her as the visit lasted for four days and for each day there was a grand gala event with her wearing grand jewels - and different ones for each day too. Unlike Crown Princess Louise who seem to repeat the same jewels for all four days/events. It's fascinating to think that these incredible valuable treasures were constantly crossing borders in those days. The post on my blog for the third day if any of you would be interested in reading more: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/1903-emperor-wilhelm-iis-visit-to-denmark-day-3/ Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Just a thought Posted by Janet on February 2, 2021, 5:40 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" Of course it could have been what became known as the Fife emeralds but we have never got to the bottom of how these jewels got to the Fifes, they could have been inherited by the Duke of Connaught, which means Queen Alexandra likely would have never have worn them. It seems unlikely that Queen Alexandra would wear the Danish emeralds, aren't they treated as crown property? I was under the impression they were reserved for the Queen of Denmark? Another theory is of course that Queen Alexandra opted to wear fakes. Many royal ladies had fake jewels made for travelling - as you say she must have taken some very, very valuable jewels with her, if something were to happen to them, she would have wiped out! Alexandra wore ropes and ropes of pearls, which I think were most likely fakes - simply because it seems inconceivable to me that Queen Mary wouldn't have worn them later if they were real. Queen Alexandra could have had fakes parures made in many different styles/stones. They could be sitting in the vault of Buckingham Palace, ignored and unloved. She likely would not have been photographed in them as her formal portraits where she wore masses of jewellery were taken in the UK in royal palaces so she has no need to wear her fakes. Just a theory of course.

Re: Just a thought Posted by Beth on February 2, 2021, 7:10 am, in reply to "Just a thought" Queen Victoria's emerald parure and how it got to the Fifes is a mystery. I very much doubt if Queen Alexandra would have worn fakes to such an event. (As described in Kongetro's blog) Apart from the fact that she was Queen in 1903, she is said to have loathed the German Emperor and so I suspect that, as much as possible, she would have wanted to outshine any of the German Imperial family.

Re: Just a thought Posted by Kongetro on February 3, 2021, 5:20 am, in reply to "Just a thought" I agree that the wearing of the Danish Emeralds is a very long shot. And of course, I do not have any evidence to suggest that they were ever worn by Queen Alexandra. And the Fife emeralds is still an unsolved mystery, so we cannot say for sure that these went to King Edward VII after Queen Victoria's death (instead of going to some of his siblings, including the Duke of Connaught). But it is worth keeping the possibility open, especially since we have reports of Queen Alexandra wearing emeralds while I cannot remember havign seen any reports of the Connaughts wearing emeralds (in this I could of course be wrong). It is also an interesting hypothesis what you said about fake jewels being worn by Queen Alexandra. But I think Beth made a valid point here when she said that the Queen would do her very best to shine in the presence of "cousin Willy". Previous Message Of course it could have been what became known as the Fife emeralds but we have never got to the bottom of how these jewels got to the Fifes, they could have been inherited by the Duke of Connaught, which means Queen Alexandra likely would have never have worn them. It seems unlikely that Queen Alexandra would wear the Danish emeralds, aren't they treated as crown property? I was under the impression they were reserved for the Queen of Denmark? Another theory is of course that Queen Alexandra opted to wear fakes. Many royal ladies had fake jewels made for travelling - as you say she must have taken some very, very valuable jewels with her, if something were to happen to them, she would have wiped out! Alexandra wore ropes and ropes of pearls, which I think were most likely fakes - simply because it seems inconceivable to me that Queen Mary wouldn't have worn them later if they were real. Queen Alexandra could have had fakes parures made in many different styles/stones. They could be sitting in the vault of Buckingham Palace, ignored and unloved. She likely would not have been photographed in them as her formal portraits where she wore masses of jewellery were taken in the UK in royal palaces so she has no need to wear her fakes. Just a theory of course. Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara Posted by Beth on February 2, 2021, 6:17 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" Another wonderful find Kongetro!!. Your blog is so interesting. I don't know the answer to the mystery of Queen Alexandra and emeralds. There are certainly press reports of her wearing a diamond and emerald tiara as well as a diamond and emerald necklace. In some cases where the press mentions an emerald necklace, it is relatively easy to identify the pearl and emerald Indian necklace Queen Victoria gave to her for her wedding. In other cases the descriptions suggest the Cartier resille necklace which was sometimes worn with the emerald drops, sometimes with the emeralds and rubies. It is possible that, after Alexandra became Queen, she wore Queen Victoria's emeralds, but that does not explain the references to Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara beforehand. In Tiaras. A history of splendour Geoffrey Munn (on page 104) cites Lady Monkswell's description of Alexandra as Princess of Wales in May 1894 at a function held at the Foreign Office "...Her hair most beautifully done with a splendid diamond tiara with great emeralds in it, put on in exactly the right place." As Lady Monkswell attended the function, I think that her description can be trusted and adds credence to the press reports stating that Queen Alexandra had an emerald tiara. I have always wondered if the 1894 description referred to the wedding gift tiara with emeralds, as we know that Queen Alexandra interchanged some of the elements at times. For example in this photo we can see that the Queen has placed stars in the tiara. I can imagine the wedding tiara with emeralds placed between the fleur de lys elements. Another possibility is that Queen Alexandra had emeralds to use in the tiara which we know could take sapphires or amethysts. Some other references to Queen Alexandra and emeralds. 1904 1905 1904 There are other, similar, references, so I am convinced that Queen Alexandra did have an emerald parure Congratulations Kongetro! What you have found adds to what is in the UK media of the time. Hopefully, in time, someone will find a more detailed description or (bliss!) a photo so that we can identify which jewels HM wore.

Re: Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara Posted by Franck on February 2, 2021, 6:26 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" Congratulations to both of you ! You are the light of my night after having worked all the day ! Thank you again Franck ! Previous Message Another wonderful find Kongetro!!. Your blog is so interesting. I don't know the answer to the mystery Queen Alexandra and emeralds. There are certainly press reports of her wearing a diamond and emerald tiara as well as a diamond and emerald necklace. In some cases where the press mentions an emerald necklace, it is relatively easy to identify the pearl and emerald Indian necklace Queen Victoria gave to her for her wedding. In other cases the descriptions suggest the Cartier resille necklace which was sometimes worn with the emerald drops, sometimes with the emeralds and rubies. It is possible that, after Alexandra became Queen, she wore Queen Victoria's emeralds, but that does not explain the references to Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara beforehand. In Tiaras. A history of splendour Geoffrey Munn (on page 104) cites Lady Monkswell's description of Alexandra as Princess of Wales in May 1894 at a function held at the Foreign Office "...Her hair most beautifully done with a splendid diamond tiara with great emeralds in it, put on in exactly the right place." As Lady Monkswell attended the function, I think that her description can be trusted and adds credence to the press reports stating that Queen Alexandra had an emerald tiara. I have always wondered if the 1894 description referred to the wedding gift tiara with emeralds, as we know that Queen Alexandra interchanged some of the elements at times. For example in this photo we can see that the Queen has placed stars in the tiara. I can imagine the wedding tiara with emeralds placed between the fleur de lys elements. Another possibility is that Queen Alexandra had emeralds to use in the tiara which we know could take sapphires or amethysts. Some other references to Queen Alexandra and emeralds. 1904 1905 1904 There are other, similar, references, so I am convinced that Queen Alexandra did have an emerald parure Congratulations Kongetro! What you have found adds to what is in the UK media of the time. Hopefully, in time, someone will find a more detailed description or (bliss!) a photo so that we can identify which jewels HM wore.

Re: Queen Alexandra's Emerald Tiara Posted by The Royal Watcher on February 2, 2021, 9:21 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" The Wedding Gift Tiara theory is one I've been thinking of too, though I also like the idea that her amethyst/sapphire tiara could be worn with emeralds. Since she didn't have Queen Victoria's Emeralds before, I wonder if she used the pear-shaped emeralds she got as wedding gifts?Queen Alexandra had quite a few jewels that were never pictured and it is more than likely that she had more emeralds than we know about. I would think they would look quite striking worn upright with the diamond stars, like Queen Sofia's Pearl Star Tiara now worn by Princess Benedikte of Denmark.

Re: Queen Alexandra's Emerald Tiara Posted by Kongetro on February 3, 2021, 5:28 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra's Emerald Tiara" A very interesting thought! As Queen Alexandra was reported wearing Sapphires on the fourth evening, it is very likely that she had brought with her the amethyst/sapphire tiara and maybe she could have interchanged the sapphires with emeralds for one evening. Though I also like the idea of her wearing the pear-shaped emeralds with her wedding gift tiara, and if worn with the diamond stars it could have looked spectacular indeed. I posted some info regarding the fourth day in my blog now and on that evening it was the Empress who wore emeralds. And Queen Alexandra in Sapphires. https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/1903-emperor-wilhelm-iis-visit-to-denmark-day-4/ Previous Message The Wedding Gift Tiara theory is one I've been thinking of too, though I also like the idea that her amethyst/sapphire tiara could be worn with emeralds. Since she didn't have Queen Victoria's Emeralds before, I wonder if she used the pear-shaped emeralds she got as wedding gifts?Queen Alexandra had quite a few jewels that were never pictured and it is more than likely that she had more emeralds than we know about. I would think they would look quite striking worn upright with the diamond stars, like Queen Sofia's Pearl Star Tiara now worn by Princess Benedikte of Denmark. Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) Posted by The Royal Watcher on February 2, 2021, 9:47 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" I've been really enjoying reading your articles from Emperor Wilhelm's State Visit to Denmark Kongetro! I am very intrigued by the jewels worn by the Danish Royal Ladies during the State Visit! For someone who had such an enormous collection of jewels that you would not be able to see the surface on which they would be laid upon, Crown Princess (later Queen) Louise wore a surprisingly small number of Tiaras, mostly the Pearl Poire Tiara (worn on the first two nights) and Queen Josefina's Diamond Tiara (worn on the third night).She also had the famous Danish Ruby Parure in her collection (though to be fair, the parure did not have a 'substantial' tiara in those days), but was not pictured wearing it, unlike a Star Tiara, which seems to have been a flexible piece The only jewels Princess (later Queen) Alexandrine was recorded wearing was 'a single large and exceedingly beautiful emerald worn in a tiara', which is the Tiara she wore in her earlier years, with an emerald which I believe became a pendant for her Sautoir. The current location is unknown. I am quite curious about the jewels of Princess Ingeborg, Princess Marie and Princess Thyra. Princess Ingeborg's 'single Diamond star as head-dress' is quite likely a star from her Turquoise Star Tiara, but I wonder if the 'jewels of Diamonds, Sapphires and Pearls' could be what we now know as Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara? Since Princess (later Queen Maud) was due to give birth to the future King Olav and did not participate in the State Visit, I wonder if she loaned some of her jewels to her sisters-in-law?

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) Posted by Kasper on February 3, 2021, 7:01 am, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras)" I read some where, that after queen Alexandrine past away, this amazing emerald was given back in inheritence to her German family... Previous Message I've been really enjoying reading your articles from Emperor Wilhelm's State Visit to Denmark Kongetro! I am very intrigued by the jewels worn by the Danish Royal Ladies during the State Visit! For someone who had such an enormous collection of jewels that you would not be able to see the surface on which they would be laid upon, Crown Princess (later Queen) Louise wore a surprisingly small number of Tiaras, mostly the Pearl Poire Tiara (worn on the first two nights) and Queen Josefina's Diamond Tiara (worn on the third night).She also had the famous Danish Ruby Parure in her collection (though to be fair, the parure did not have a 'substantial' tiara in those days), but was not pictured wearing it, unlike a Star Tiara, which seems to have been a flexible piece The only jewels Princess (later Queen) Alexandrine was recorded wearing was 'a single large and exceedingly beautiful emerald worn in a tiara', which is the Tiara she wore in her earlier years, with an emerald which I believe became a pendant for her Sautoir . The current location is unknown. I am quite curious about the jewels of Princess Ingeborg, Princess Marie and Princess Thyra. Princess Ingeborg's 'single Diamond star as head-dress' is quite likely a star from her Turquoise Star Tiara , but I wonder if the 'jewels of Diamonds, Sapphires and Pearls' could be what we now know as Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara ? Since Princess (later Queen Maud) was due to give birth to the future King Olav and did not participate in the State Visit, I wonder if she loaned some of her jewels to her sisters-in-law?

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) Posted by The Royal Watcher on February 3, 2021, 4:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras)" I have always thought something similar too! Queen Alexandrine's brother died in captivity at the end of WWII and the family lost all of their property, so I would think it was highly likely that Queen Alexandrine would have tried to help them out in some way!

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) Posted by RDavid on February 3, 2021, 8:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras)" I recall that it was inherited by Crown Princess Cecilie, although I am not sure. Previous Message I have always thought something similar too! Queen Alexandrine's brother died in captivity at the end of WWII and the family lost all of their property, so I would think it was highly likely that Queen Alexandrine would have tried to help them out in some way!

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) Posted by Kongetro on February 3, 2021, 8:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras)" Thank you very much for providing those wonderful photos! When it comes to the Sapphires worn by Princess Ingeborg at the soirée hosted by the Crown Princely Couple I suspect that they were her own. She has been reported as wearing a Sapphire tiara at a Swedish event which I hope I will be able to post more about on my blog shortly. When I read it, I immediately thought of her tiara of Turquoise stars as I have always suspected that the turquoises could be swapped with other gems, i.e. sapphires. But she might even have had a completely different tiara with sapphires at some point of course. Previous Message I've been really enjoying reading your articles from Emperor Wilhelm's State Visit to Denmark Kongetro! I am very intrigued by the jewels worn by the Danish Royal Ladies during the State Visit! For someone who had such an enormous collection of jewels that you would not be able to see the surface on which they would be laid upon, Crown Princess (later Queen) Louise wore a surprisingly small number of Tiaras, mostly the Pearl Poire Tiara (worn on the first two nights) and Queen Josefina's Diamond Tiara (worn on the third night).She also had the famous Danish Ruby Parure in her collection (though to be fair, the parure did not have a 'substantial' tiara in those days), but was not pictured wearing it, unlike a Star Tiara, which seems to have been a flexible piece The only jewels Princess (later Queen) Alexandrine was recorded wearing was 'a single large and exceedingly beautiful emerald worn in a tiara', which is the Tiara she wore in her earlier years, with an emerald which I believe became a pendant for her Sautoir . The current location is unknown. I am quite curious about the jewels of Princess Ingeborg, Princess Marie and Princess Thyra. Princess Ingeborg's 'single Diamond star as head-dress' is quite likely a star from her Turquoise Star Tiara , but I wonder if the 'jewels of Diamonds, Sapphires and Pearls' could be what we now know as Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara ? Since Princess (later Queen Maud) was due to give birth to the future King Olav and did not participate in the State Visit, I wonder if she loaned some of her jewels to her sisters-in-law? Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) - Princess Ingeborg in Sapphires Posted by Kongetro on February 6, 2021, 3:37 am, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras)" As I mentioned in my previous post Princess Ingeborg was reported wearing a Diamond and Sapphire tiara at events in Sweden also. One of those events was the christening of Prince Gustav Adolf, the eldest son of King Gustav VI Adolf and Princess Margaret of Connaught. The christening was a grand State Event which of course meant wearing of grand jewels as well as dress uniforms, be it military or courtly. If you like to read more about it I leave you with the link to my blog: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/other-events/sweden/gustav-vi-adolf/1906-christening-of-prince-gustav-adolf-of-sweden/ Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) - Princess Ingeborg in Sapphires Posted by The Royal Watcher on February 6, 2021, 5:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) - Princess Ingeborg in Sapphires" That's a very intriguing mystery and I'd love to find out more! The Christening of Prince Gustav Adolf sounds amazing, and I wonder if the other siblings got similar christenings?

Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) - Princess Ingeborg in Sapphires Posted by Kongetro on February 7, 2021, 10:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Danish Royal Ladies (and their Tiaras) - Princess Ingeborg in Sapphires" Sadly I think this was in fact the last time a Royal christening was treated with such pomp and circumstance. I had hoped that his siblings would also have been treated similarly, but when looking for information on his next brother, Prince Sigvard, his christening seem to have been less glittering. Maybe there had been a change of view on how to perform such a ceremony or maybe Prince Gustav Adolf was treated special since he was the heir apparent of his father. In any case it is a shame (I think) that things have been "played down" when it comes to these events. Previous Message That's a very intriguing mystery and I'd love to find out more! The Christening of Prince Gustav Adolf sounds amazing, and I wonder if the other siblings got similar christenings? Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

Re: Empress Maria Feodorovna's Tiaras Posted by The Royal Watcher on February 2, 2021, 10:00 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra wearing an emerald tiara" I find it so interesting that the Danish Royal Family called relatives from Britain, Russia and the United Kingdom to participate in the State Visit! I wonder how many other times that may have happened! I have included pictures of the Tiaras and jewels which I think the Empress may have worn according to the descriptions from Kongetro's article! For the State Banquet on the first evening, Empress Maria Feodorovna was: "reported to have worn Diamonds as big as hazelnuts" The second evening, the Empress wore: "a crown of Diamonds and Sapphires, a necklace consisting of a long chain of Pearls with a rare large Sapphire as pendant" On the third evening she wore: "a Diamond tiara, around her neck Diamonds competing in brilliance with the enormous Pearls in the necklace, long rows of Pearls reaching all the way down to the waist of her dress"

Re: Empress Maria Feodorovna's Tiaras - Emeralds? Posted by Kongetro on February 3, 2021, 8:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Empress Maria Feodorovna's Tiaras" Again, thank you for posting such great photos. I am weary about posting photos in my blog as I am still a bit "green" when it comes to copyrights. I agree with your selection too as these were the jewels popping up in my head when reading the descriptions of the jewels worn. I mean, those diamonds in the necklace in your first photo are HUGE - easily comparable to hazlenuts I think But then we come to the fourth evening of the visit and the Empress is said to have worn emeralds. Do we know of any grand emerald jewels belonging to the Empress? I know that there were a lot of grand emeralds in the Russian Royal Family and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna did own an emerald set. But I cannot recall having heard of Dagmar owning emeralds. Previous Message I find it so interesting that the Danish Royal Family called relatives from Britain, Russia and the United Kingdom to participate in the State Visit! I wonder how many other times that may have happened! I have included pictures of the Tiaras and jewels which I think the Empress may have worn according to the descriptions from Kongetro's article! For the State Banquet on the first evening, Empress Maria Feodorovna was: "reported to have worn Diamonds as big as hazelnuts" The second evening, the Empress wore: "a crown of Diamonds and Sapphires, a necklace consisting of a long chain of Pearls with a rare large Sapphire as pendant" On the third evening she wore: "a Diamond tiara, around her neck Diamonds competing in brilliance with the enormous Pearls in the necklace, long rows of Pearls reaching all the way down to the waist of her dress" Kongetro To visit my website Regal Events use this link: https://regalevents913271078.wordpress.com/

« Back to index