Josephine’s Emerald Parure is yet another gift tiara from Empress Joséphine to her eponymous granddaughter upon marrying Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. Unlike the the numerous others, this emerald aderezo does not reside in Queen Silvia’s collection in Stockholm. Queen Sonja of Norway is the lucky girl whose got this one!

Queen Sonja wore Empress Josephine’s Emerald Tiara at the Queen Margarethe’s Ruby Jubilee in Denmark.

The French jeweler Bapst crafted the parure for Empress Joséphine, a parure that today includes a tiara, necklace, earrings, and two brooches. This symmetrical tiara incorporates geometric emeralds in a neo-classical diamond design, all mounted on a frame of gold and silver.

luscious emeralds once belonging to Josephine Bonaparte now belong to Queen Sonja of Norway

We know what happened next. Josephine 2 received the set of forest-green gems as a gift from Grandma. Josephine 2, more properly Queen Consort of Sweden and Norway added yet another tiara to the staggering Swedish Collection.

Josie’s Emerald Parure stayed in Sweden until, in what initially seems like diadem diplomacy, the parure was given to Norway’s Crown Princess Märtha by her parents: Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. (Crown Princess Märtha was the granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and whom had married her cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway. Her children are current King Harald, and his sisters Astrid and Ragnhild.) Princess Ingeborg received the tiara from Carl’s mother, Queen Sofia of Sweden.

(from left to right) Queen Sofia of Sweden, Crown Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, Crown Priness Martha and Princess Astrid of Norway (credit: Royal Order of Satorial Splendor)

Tragically Crown Princess Märtha succomed to cancer at the age of fifty-three, shorty before her husband became king. The tiara was also worn by Princess Astrid. Astrid served as Norway’s First Lady alongside her widowed father until her brother Harald married.

Harald and Sonja of Norway on their wedding day

Naturally I’m completely unfazed to hear that Josie’s Emeralds are one of Queen Sonja’s favorites. Along with the numerous jubilees and state dinners, Queen Sonja wore it to Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden‘s wedding (right),  Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark‘s (left) and her own son’s Crown Prince Haakon, (bottom).

Queen Sonja of Norway at her son Crown Prince Haakon’s wedding

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