King Frederik X of Denmark is marking his second anniversary as monarch alongside his wife, Queen Mary, on January 14, and two years into their reign, Australian-born Mary has proven to be a true “guardian of the royal vaults.” Whether it’s bringing rare historic tiaras to the public eye or sentimental earrings tied to her husband’s family, Queen Mary’s jewelry narrative has become “a defining element of her public identity,” according to jewelry expert Oliver Hobart.
“From debuting a rose-cut diamond bandeau tiara re-imagined from an 1840 diamond belt to reviving pieces unseen in over a century, she has shown an instinct for activating history with a contemporary sensibility rather than simply wearing it,” says Hobart, who serves as creative director at wholesale jeweler 925E.
One such moment was the Danish state visit to Finland in March 2025, when Queen Mary surprised fans by wearing a tiara that had previously never been seen in public. Mary chose Queen Caroline Amalies Italian tiara, a gold headband-style piece from 1820 that’s inlaid with colorful cameos.
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Queen Mary is seen wearing Queen Caroline Amalie’s historic Italian tiara in March 2025.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mary chose a pair of pearl drop earrings that date back to 1869 for a January 5 event.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
And in 2025, Queen Mary chose a pair of citrine drop earrings that belonged to Countess Danner, the morganatic wife of King Frederick VII of Denmark, while attending a museum exhibition about the late countess.
“Queen Mary’s style has a clear rhythm: structured tiaras with clean lines, heirloom brooches used with ceremony, and statement earrings that nod to Danish history”, Hobart says. “The 165-year-old earrings linked to Countess Danner are a good example: an unexpected choice, but one that shows how she uses jewelry to honor local royal narratives rather than defaulting to purely ‘safe’ diamonds.”
Hobart says that such occasions “reveal a queen who treats jewelry as living cultural heritage, a way to bridge royal tradition with her own nuanced, fashion-aware presence on the international stage.”
Queen Mary shimmered in gold and the Danish Rose Diamond Bandeau, which was made from historic diamonds that were once featured in a belt.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Countess Danner’s intricate gemstone drop earrings are pictured.
(Image credit: Iben Kaufmann/Kongehuset)
“What sets Queen Mary apart, however, is her instinct for revival,” Hobart says. “She is particularly adept at reintroducing archival pieces in ways that feel deliberate rather than nostalgic.”
Take the Danish Rose Diamond Bandeau, a new tiara that Mary had commissioned in 2024. The striking yet simple headband design was created with diamonds from a chain belt that was made during the reign of King Christian VIII in 1840, per The Court Jeweller.
At the time, the Danish royal court released a statement reading, “With the rose stone tiara, HM The Queen and the Royal Collection are reliving a centuries-old tradition of reshaping the Danish crown jewels according to the changing needs of the times, while at the same time bringing the rose stone set, which is rarely used today, back to life.”
For Queen Mary, the design makes perfect sense, combining tradition with a contemporary flair. As Hobart notes, these pieces “are worn with a sense of ease that makes them feel relevant rather than reverential.”