Yahoo News The Swedish and Danish Royals Sparkled in Stunning Tiaras at a State Banquet Last Night
While the eyes of the fashion world may have been tuned into NYC last night as hundreds of stars made their much-anticipated appearances on the Met Gala red carpet, the Danish and Swedish royal families proved that when it comes to glittering gems, it's hard to outshine a royal.
Many of the highest ranked royals from both families joined together for a banquet to celebrate King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark's official state visit to Sweden, and as one might expect, it was a bejeweled affair.
Queen Mary's ruby and diamond parure in particular had a strong connection to the event, as the set—now known as the Danish Ruby Parure—was originally owned by Désirée Clary, who became queen of Sweden in 1818. Originally crafted for the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte, the set came to Denmark after Désirée's great-granddaughter Lovisa (AKA Louise), married the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark in 1869. According to The Court Jeweler, the set didn't originally include a tiara, but one was later fashioned out of a matching set of hair ornaments.
Over the years, the set has become a favorite of Queen Mary's—she first wore the tiara almost 20 years ago, ahead of her wedding to Frederik. Last night, Mary paired the collection with a champagne and burgundy lace gown.
Queen Silvia of Sweden, meanwhile, selected a set known as the Leuchtenberg Sapphires, including a sapphire and diamond tiara, necklace, earrings, and brooch that have been part of the royal family's collection since the early 1800s, to go with her emerald lace gown.
The princesses of Sweden also donned some glittering toppers for the occasion, with Crown Princess Victoria choosing the Connaught Diamond Tiara. Once owned by Princess Margaret of Connaught, the tiara was a special choice to highlight the bond between the royal families, as Margaret is not only Victoria's great-grandmother, but King Frederik's as well! She matched the look with a pale robin's egg blue gown shimmering with embellishment.
Princess Sofia wore her Palmette tiara—one of her signature pieces—along with a powder blue gown bedecked with spring-ready florals.
So while there were plenty of jewels at the Met Gala—including a $10 million necklace!—the tiaras at last night's State Banquet in Stockholm were the highlight of the first Monday in May.
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