The Napoleonic Heritage
By Bjarne Steen Jensen
European Royal History Journal © 2000


Josefina died three years later leaving her emeralds
to her daughter-in-law, Queen Sofia of Sweden
who loaned the parure to Crown Princess Margaret
of Sweden, Queen Ingrid's mother, for the coronation
in London in 1911 of King George V and Queen Mary.
At that time the collier had seven pendants.
When Queen Sofia died in 1913 she left her emeralds
to her son, Carl, whose wife, Princess Ingeborg,
born a princess of Denmark, wore them for many years.
These were the parents of Queen Astrid of the Belgians
and of Martha, Crown Princess of Norway. When Martha
in 1937 gave birth to the future King Harald V,
Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg gave the parure
to their daughter. Martha wore the emeralds for
the coronations in London in 1937 and 1953.

Now Queen Sonja of Norway often wears the emerald
parure now consisting of a tiara, earrings, collier with
one pendant, and two brooches. Princess Ingeborg's collier
had only one pendant so the other pendants must have
been left by Queen Sofia to someone else and perhaps
used for other jewellery. Princess Ingeborg had the earrings
made from small parts of the tiara. The tiara is very easy
to recognise as it has a large square-cut emerald in front.


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