Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Queen Louise of Sweden, who passed away on this day in 1965! The Battenberg Princess who became a Lady and then married the widower future King of Sweden, despite frequently declaring that she would ‘never marry a king or a widower’, Queen Louise possessed the magnificent Swedish Royal Jewels, which included the spectacular two-centuries old Karl Johan Earrings!
Braganza Tiara | Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure | Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara | Baden Fringe Tiara | Diamond Tiara | Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara | Pink Topaz Parure | Napoleonic Amethyst Parure | Hesse Emerald Brooch | Karl Johan Earrings | Sapphire Spray Brooch | Diamond Stomacher Necklace | Swedish Processional Necklace | Queen Josefina’s Five Pearl Brooch | Seed Pearl Brooch
Each composed of a large pear-shaped diamond framed with eleven brilliants, suspended from three stacked brilliant diamonds, these heirloom earrings originate from the first Bernadotte King, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, who took the regnal name of King Karl XIV Johan. King Karl XIV Johan established a fideicommissum of jewels that would be at the queen’s disposal, so that the collection could increase but could never decrease.
The Karl Johan Earrings were pictured on Queen Louise for an Official Portrait in the 1860s, with other jewels including an earlier version of the Nine Prong Tiara and her Floral Bracelet. Large earrings like these remained out of fashion for the next several decades, so the Karl Johan Earrings were not pictured on Queen Sofia nor Queen Victoria.
It wasn’t until the 1930s when the Karl Johan Earrings reappeared in public, when they were worn by the then Crown Princess Louise, usually with Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara and also her Diamond Tiara, notable appearances including the Wedding Gala of Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1932, the Coronation Gala in London in 1937, King Gustav V’s 80th Birthday in 1938, and the Inauguration of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands in 1948.
Queen Louise continued to frequently wear Karl Johan Earrings through the years, for the Swedish State Opening of Parliament in 1951, during the Swedish State Visit to Denmark in 1952, during the British State Visit to Sweden in 1956, and the Dutch State Visit to Sweden in 1957 paired with the Braganza Tiara, Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara and the Baden Fringe Tiara.
The Karl Johan Earrings continued to be worn by Queen Louise into her final years, appearing for the the Wedding Ball of Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern in 1961, for the Anglo-Swedish Society Dinner in London in 1961, at the Swedish Opening of Parliament in 1962, and at King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden’s 80th Birthday in 1962 among other appearances.
Following Queen Louise’s passing in 1965, the Karl Johan Earrings remained unworn until they appeared on the soon-to-be Queen Silvia, paired with the Connaught Diamond Tiara for her Wedding Gala at the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1976, on the eve of her Wedding to King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Queen Silvia wore the Karl Johan Earrings with the Braganza Tiara and the Pink Topaz Parure for her first Official Portraits before they were worn with the Nine Prong Tiara for the Swedish State Visit to The Netherlands.
Through the years, Queen Silvia has often worn the Karl Johan Earrings with the Braganza Tiara and the Nine Prong Tiara for countless State Visits and Nobel Prize Ceremonies.
On a couple of occasions, the Karl Johan Earrings were loaned to Princess Lilian, who paired them with the Baden Fringe Tiara and Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara for some Gala Dinners and Nobel Banquets.
Queen Silvia wore the Karl Johan Earrings with the Nine Prong Tiara for the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in 2001 and the Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013, with the King Edward VII Ruby Tiara for the Wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark and Alexandra Manley in 1995, the Swedish State Visit to Japan in 2007 and Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th Birthday Gala.
While Queen Silvia has preferred to wear her Diamond Floral Earrings in recent years, the Karl Johan Earrings continue to be worn for several special occasions, including with the Braganza Tiara for the Dutch State Visit to Sweden in 2022, and King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Jubilee Banquet in 2023. There is no doubt we will continue to see these spectacular heirloom for years to come!
Braganza Tiara | Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure | Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara | Baden Fringe Tiara | Diamond Tiara | Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara | Pink Topaz Parure | Napoleonic Amethyst Parure | Hesse Emerald Brooch | Karl Johan Earrings | Sapphire Spray Brooch | Diamond Stomacher Necklace | Swedish Processional Necklace | Queen Josefina’s Five Pearl Brooch | Seed Pearl Brooch
Braganza Tiara
Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure
Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara
Baden Fringe Tiara
Diamond Tiara
Pink Topaz Parure
Napoleonic Amethyst Parure
Hesse Emerald Brooch
Karl Johan Earrings
Sapphire Spray Brooch
Diamond Stomacher
Swedish Processional Necklace
Seed Pearl Brooch
Queen Josefina’s Five Pearl Brooch
The Braganza Tiara
Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure
Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara
The Swedish Cameo Parure
The Connaught Diamond Tiara
The Baden Fringe Tiara
Napoleonic Amethyst Parure
King Edward VII Ruby Tiara
Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara
Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara
Princess Lilian’s Laurel Wreath Tiara
Princess Sofia’s Wedding Tiara
Modern Fringe Tiara
Swedish Pink Topaz Parure
Bernadotte Emerald Parure