Happy Birthday to the Countess of Frederiksborg, who turns 60 today! The former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, who was the first person of Asian descent to marry into a European Royal Family, and remains close the Danish Royal Family after their divorce, Countess Alexandra has retained the heirloom Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara!

Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara | Diamond Necklace | Sapphire Necklace

The spectacular Tiara of arches with dozens of tiny briolette diamonds was likely created around 1912, when it was presented by King Christian X of Denmark to his wife, Queen Alexandrine, possibly to mark their Accession to the Danish Throne.

Queen Alexandrine was never photographed wearing her Diamond Drop Tiara, but reportedly wore it for a Gala Performance at Covent Garden during the Danish State Visit to Britain in 1914.

In 1935, Queen Alexandrine loaned her Diamond Drop Tiara to Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark for the Wedding Banquet of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, which was also worn the following evening for the Wedding Gala.

Following Queen Alexandrine’s death in 1952, the Diamond Drop Tiara was inherited by her elder son, King Frederik IX of Denmark, who gave it to his elder daughter, Crown Princess Margrethe, on her 18th Birthday in 1958.

Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara was the primary jewel of Crown Princess Margrethe for several years, notably worn for a Parliament Banquet in 1958, on a visit to the United States in 1960, for King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid’s Silver Anniversary, at the Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden’s Birthday in 1962, the Greek Monarchy Centenary Banquet and Greek Monarchy Centenary Gala in 1963.

Crown Princess Margrethe also wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara for a Banquet at Christiansborg Palace, a Photoshoot at Fredensborg Palace in 1964, Princess Anne Marie’s Farewell Dinner, Wedding Gala in Copenhagen, Wedding Dinner in Athens and the Wedding Ball of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne Marie of Denmark in 1964.

While she sometimes also wore the Baden Palmette Tiara and Diamond Floral Tiara, Crown Princess Margrethe continued to primarily wear the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara, like for Queen Juliana’s 30th Anniversary Gala in 1967, her Wedding Gala at Fredensborg Palace in 1967, Princess Benedikte’s Wedding Gala in 1968, the Wedding of Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Crown Prince Harald’s Wedding Gala in 1968, and King Frederik IX’s 70th Birthday in 1969, usually paired with Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure and the Antique Turquoise Parure.

Following her Accession to the Danish Throne in 1972, Queen Margrethe gained the Danish Emerald Parure and Pearl Poiré Tiara, but continued to wear Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara, most notably for the Danish State Visit to Britain in 1974 and the Norwegian State Visit to Denmark in 1974.

The following year, the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara was worn with pieces of the Antique Diamond Parure for the Swedish State Visit to Denmark and for her State Visit to the Vatican in 1975.

Queen Margrethe wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara with the Danish Crown Diamond Parure during the British State Visit to Denmark in 1979, while it was worn with Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure for the Danish State Visit to Japan in 1981.

In 1995, Queen Margrethe gave Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara to Alexandra Manley when she married her younger son, Prince Joachim of Denmark. The Tiara was worn for the Wedding at Frederiksborg Castle, as well as for the Wedding Ball at Fredensborg Palace.

As the first Danish Princess by marriage in six decades, Princess Alexandra soon became a popular member of the Danish Royal Family, and wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara for Queen Margrethe’s Silver Jubilee in 1997, the Jordanian State Visit to Denmark in 1998, the Japanese State Visit to Denmark in 1998, the South African State Banquet at Amalienborg Palace in 1999, Queen Margrethe’s 60th Birthday in 2000, and the Luxembourg State Visit to Denmark in 2003 among countless New Year’s Galas and Banquets.

In 2004, Princess Alexandra  wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara for the Wedding Banquet, Wedding Gala, and the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen.

Princess Alexandra continued to be a Princess and a member of the Danish Royal Family until her remarriage in 2007, and wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara with a Sapphire Necklace for the Norwegian Independence Centenary Gala in Copenhagen in 2005 and a State Banquet for the President of Bulgaria in 2006.

After her remarriage in 2007, the now Countess of Frederiksborg retained the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara and wore it for Queen Margrethe’s Ruby Jubilee Gala in Copenhagen in 2012.

A few years later, the Countess of Frederiksborg wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara for Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th Birthday Gala Dinner at Christiansborg Palace in 2018.

Most recently, the Countess of Frederiksborg wore Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara for Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee Gala at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in 2022, where I had the pleasure of seeing the Tiara up close in person when the Countess stopped right in front of me! There is no doubt Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara will be worn for years to come!

Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara | Diamond Necklace | Sapphire Necklace

Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Drop Tiara