Danish queens don’t get to be crowned. But when Margrethe steps down this weekend, her daughter-in-law Mary inherits one of the most fabulous collections of jewellery in the world

It is ten thousand kilometers from Sydney to Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has certainly come a long way since she first met Crown Prince Frederik at the Slip Inn pub when the city hosted the 2000 Olympics.

And the extent of her transformation will never be more apparent than on Sunday. Because by the time night falls, the princess will be queen.

On January 14, her 83-year-old mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe, will abdicate after 52 years on the throne, an abdication that was announced to the surprise of the Danish public in a live television broadcast on New Year’s Eve.

Margrethe is replaced by her eldest son Frederik, with Mary as Queen Consort.

As Crown Princess, Mary already has all the fashion, stylists and accessories she could need.

But this weekend the Australian-born ‘common man’ will also have access to something else: a treasure chest of beautiful jewels that will be worn by the Queen. And only the queen!

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attend a dinner hosted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands prior to her abdication in favor of Crown Prince Willem Alexander at the Rijksmuseum on April 29, 2013

Danish Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary greet the diplomatic corps on the occasion of the New Year at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

The Crown Emerald Parure

The Danish royal family is the only European royal family to trace its lineage directly to Gorm the Elder and their country’s first kings.

Yet no coronation took place for over 400 years and by the mid-18th century there were no more Crown Jewels.

That’s when Queen Sophie Magdalen decided to rectify the situation, dictating in her will that her jewels should be passed from queen to queen, complaining that:

‘There are so few jewels in this Royal Household and no crown jewels at all.’

Queen Margrethe of Denmark poses in the emerald parure for her 40th birthday

The Crown Emerald Necklace in detail

Beautiful craftsmanship up close

The parure includes matching diamond and emerald earrings

Queen Margrethe of Denmark attends a reception at Christiansborg Palace to celebrate her son’s upcoming wedding

Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway

The crown-emerald diadem

The Crown Emerald Parure brooch

Many of her original jewels were subsequently redesigned in the 1840s by German goldsmith CM Weisshaupt & Sons for Queen Caroline Amalie.

Probably the most important is the Crown Emerald Parure.

It was made in 1840 and consists of a diadem, a necklace, a brooch that can be taken apart and worn in several smaller pieces, and a pair of earrings – all set with brilliant diamonds and emeralds.

The largest emeralds were given to Queen Sophie Magdalena by her husband, King Christian VI, in 1723 in honor of the birth of their first child, who became Frederick V.

It was often worn by Queen Margrethe on state occasions, especially at the New Year’s reception.

The Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure

This parure from 1842 consists of some of the oldest Danish jewels.

It includes a large pearl necklace, pearl, ruby ​​and diamond earrings and a large pearl, ruby ​​and diamond brooch that can be taken apart and worn in different ways.

Queen Margrethe sometimes wore the brooch on the chain. There are also two small locks that can be linked together.

The Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure set

The huge pearl, ruby ​​and diamond earrings from the set

Queen Charlotte Amalie wears a beautiful pearl necklace that is very similar to the pearls in the Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure

The large pearls in the necklace may be traced back to Christian IV’s daughter Leonora Christina Ulfeldt, who wears a large pearl necklace in a portrait from 1647.

It is thought that when she was imprisoned for 22 years for supporting her husband, who was arrested for trying to poison the royal family, the pearls were passed to Queen Charlotte Amalie. She became queen in 1670.

According to Peter Kristiansen in his book Power, Splendor and Diamonds, the pearls could be Norwegian river pearls, as Danish queens of the 17th century had exclusive rights to pearl fishing in Norway.

The rose cut diamonds Parure

This suite, recreated in 1840 for Queen Caroline Amalie, consists of a belt of rose-cut diamonds, which can be converted into two necklaces, and a brooch that can consist of four smaller brooches.

This suite consists of a belt with rose-cut diamonds, which can be transformed into two necklaces

A close-up of the rose-cut diamond brooch

The brooch can be transformed into four smaller brooches.

Queen Caroline Amalie of Denmark

Queen Louise, mother of Queen Alexandra (wife and queen consort of Edward VII) and Empress Maria Feodorvna wore the belt on a number of occasions.

The brilliant diamond parure

This parure was made by Weishaupt in 1840 for Queen Caroline to wear during the last Danish coronation that year.

Wedding of Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson in the Brilliant Diamond Parure

A close-up of the diamond parure

Part of the brilliant cut chain. The parure also includes diamond earrings and a spectacular floral corsage

Newlywed Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark appear on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace, with Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik at their sides

The opulent necklace is set with diamonds that belonged to several Danish queens: Sophie Magdalene, Juliane Marie and Caroline Mathilde, as well as a princess: Charlotte Amalie.

According to the Royal Watcher blog, Queen Louise was able to take the necklace to London for the wedding of her grandson, the future George V.

The parure also includes diamond earrings and a spectacular floral corsage, the latter of which features yellow diamonds in the center of several flowers.

It is made ‘en tremblant’, so that the flowers move as the wearer walks.