Today marks the 145th Anniversary of the birth of Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, who was born on this day in 1879! The Mecklenburg-Schwerin Princess who became the popular Danish Queen and “the only German Danes wanted to keep” during the Nazi Occupation, Queen Alexandrine did not wear many jewels but possessed the Art Deco Diamond Sautoir!
Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara | Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara | Danish Ruby Parure | Diamond Drop Tiara | Diamond Meander | Russian Sapphire Tiara | Diamond Bandeau | Sapphire Parure | Diamond Sautoir | Ruby Bow Brooch | Pearl and Diamond Brooch | Sapphire Brooch
Composed of Diamond Links that can be worn in a variety of lengths, from a long Sautoir to two shorter Necklaces and four Bracelets, the exact origin of the Sautoir is unknown, but it seems to have been acquired by Queen Alexandrine around the late-1920s.
Queen Alexandrine notably wore her Diamond Sautoir with her Fringe Tiara for King Haakon VII of Norway’s Silver Jubilee in 1930 and it was also worn for the Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece in 1934, both times with her Sapphire Pendant.
Queen Alexandrine notably wore the Diamond Sautoir for the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden in 1935 as well as during King Christian X’s Silver Jubilee Banquet in 1937.
The Diamond Sautoir was also worn by Queen Alexandrine with her Fringe Tiara for the Wedding of Prince Knud and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark as well as the Wedding of Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Feodora of Denmark.
Queen Alexandrine continued to wear the Diamond Sautoir after the Second Wold War, notably for the Liberation Gala at Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in 1945, and also after being widowed, like when it was worn with the Fringe Tiara for King Gustav V’s 90th Birthday in 1948 and also King Haakon’s 80th Birthday in 1952, just a few months before Queen Alexandrine’s passing.
After Queen Alexandrine’s death in 1950, the Sautoir was inherited by her elder son, King Frederik IX, whose wife, Queen Ingrid, broke it up into two necklaces for her two younger daughters in the early 1960s.
Princess Benedikte began wearing her portion of Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir around 1962, later worn with a large Diamond Flower Brooch suspended as a pendant usually with her Diamond Floral Tiara or the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara. She also once wore two-strands of the Diamond Sautoir in 1990, which could have been her own divided into two bracelets or could have been borrowed from her sister.
The other half of Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir was given to Queen Anne-Marie of Greece in 1964, who first wore it at her Farewell Gala, and also divided it into a pair of bracelets for a Dinner in Athens a few days later, and also wearing it for her Wedding Ball with the Greek Emerald Stomacher.
Princess Benedikte has continued to regularly wear her portion of Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir over the years, almost always with the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara, with the most recent appearance at the New Year’s Court this year.
For over 60 years, Queen Anne Marie has worn the Diamond Sautoir with the Romanov Emerald Pendants of the Greek Emerald Parure in various configurations, and also with her Aquamarine Pendant, most recently for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Golden Jubilee.
While both Queen Anne Marie and Princess Benedikte have frequently loaned jewels to their daughters, the Diamond Sautoir had never been loaned until a few months ago, the Bracelet from Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir was worn by Princess Theodora of Greece for her Wedding to Mathew Kumar in Athens. There is no doubt we will see Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir worn for years to come!
