At state banquet in Finland, Queen Mary of Denmark donned a 200-year-old tiara set with ancient stones for the first time, bringing a rare piece of royal history out of the shadows. At the glitzy ceremony hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the headpiece, which had been kept away for more than 140 years, made its appearance on this occasion.It was previously owned by Queen Caroline Amalie.
The 11 jewels on the thin gold ring were collected by the Danish royal family to have been collected by King Christian VIII himself, who visited Rome and the Pompeii excavations between 1819 and 1821.
According to EuroWeekly, originally meant for daily wear rather than formal occasions, this tiara “reflects the classicist taste of the time” and is significantly different from today’s diamond-heavy designs.
Queen Mary also wore a bracelet that matched it, made of stone from the top of Mount Vesuvius, and a sentimental letter the monarch had written to Caroline Amalie.
As the first person to wear them in well over a century, Queen Mary pairs the bracelet and tiara with a black, gold-decorated Jesper Hovring gown.
