King Frederik of Denmark has been on the throne since January 14 and all this time he and his wife Queen Mary had to make do with a fairly old official photo from 2018. No wonder that royalty watchers wondered where the new state portraits were.
Beautiful state portraits
Today they were released and they were worth the wait. The portrait shows the royal couple in gala with the Order of the Elephant on a chain. The photo was taken by Steen Evald, a trusted photographer for the Danish royals, in the green room at Christiansborg Palace.
Scruffy head of state
The portrait of Frederik, the current head of state, will hang in state institutions, such as Danish embassies and consulates worldwide, but also on ships flying the Danish flag.
The Crown Jewels!
In the photos, Queen Mary wears the crown jewels for the first time, a neoclassical parure with emeralds inspired by the French crown jewels of the mid-nineteenth century.
The set was designed by jeweler CM Weisshaupt and was a gift from Christian VIII to Queen Caroline Amalie, probably during their silver wedding on May 22, 1840.
Museum piece and function
The jewels can normally be admired in the secure treasury of Rosenborg Castle and are only taken from there for special occasions in their own country.
It is common for them to stay in Denmark. They are therefore not allowed to accompany an outgoing state visit. The Danish Crown Jewels are the only ones in the world that are both exhibited as a museum object and worn by the country’s queen.
And that mini portrait?
On her chest Mary wears a miniature portrait of the king with the Order of the Dane. It has been a tradition for generations for female members of the royal family to wear the miniature portrait of the regent. For example, the queen wore a portrait of Queen Margrethe during her time as crown princess.
European royals among themselves, they can learn quite a bit from each other.
Source: Det Danske Kongehus
