Where do all those diamonds go after the Danish monarch abdicates?
With the Danish throne coming closer, the court staff is working hard behind the scenes to prepare everything for the big day. Of course, a lot of major responsibilities pass from Queen Margrethe to Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, but what about the impressive jewelry that the queen regularly wears? The Danish court explains!
Royal jewels
As is the case with many royal families, the Danish jewels do not all personally belong to Queen Margrethe. For example, a few of the most important sets belong to the Crown, some fall under the so-called ‘Løsørefideikommis’ of the Danish royal family, and some are privately owned by the royals. What exactly happens to the jewels after Margrethe’s abdication therefore varies per piece.
Crown Jewels
To start with the easiest category: there are four parures that fall under the Danish Crown Jewels. This concerns a set of jewelry with brilliant-cut diamonds, a collection of emerald jewelry that also includes a diadem, a set with pearls and rubies, and two rose-cut diamond necklaces that can be worn in different configurations.
As state property, these jewels are part of the property of the Danish Crown. With Margrethe’s abdication, these sets automatically pass to Frederik and Mary, and Mary can wear them to her heart’s content. The only condition is that these jewels remain within Denmark – so these beautiful works of art are not allowed in the suitcase on an outgoing state visit. When they are not being worn, you can admire these four parures in the (obviously well-secured) basement of the Rosenborg museum castle.
Royal foundation
Another part of the jewelery therefore falls under the so-called Løsørefideikommis. In short, this means that the jewels are not the specific property of one individual royal, but belong to a foundation that was established in 1910 by then King Frederick VIII. This committee had to ensure that various treasures would remain within the family and could not simply be sold by a greedy monarch.
This collection includes the Perlepoire set that Margrethe has loved to wear at all kinds of events over the years.
Unlike the crown jewels, these showpieces are allowed to travel, and we expect that Mary will make good use of them in the coming years.
Personal gems
And finally, there are of course some jewels that are simply personal property of the royals. For example, the sweet Baden Palmette tiara ended up with Margrethe through an inheritance, and the queen pulled it out of her jewelry vault, especially on romantic occasions – quite appropriate given the heart-shaped motifs, nun?
With regard to the jewelry that personally belongs to Margrethe, she can do or not do whatever she wants with it. Who knows what kind of jewelery she will give to the future royal couple to add luster to the occasion.
Either way, we can’t wait to see what tiaras and jewelry Mary will grace the scene with in the near future!
Source: Kongehuset.dk, Kongernes Samling, The Court Jeweler | Image: NL Image
