The Remarkable Woman Who Transformed Denmark's Sparkling Crown Jewels

Queen Caroline Amalie of Denmark revitalized the Danish crown jewel collection, a cache of gemstones with links to her illustrious ancestors

Queen Caroline Amalie of Denmark, painted by Louis Aumont ca. 1830 (Wikimedia Commons)

On January 14, when Queen Margrethe II of Denmark signs an instrument of abdication in Copenhagen, the throne will pass to her son and heir, Crown Prince Frederik. But that’s not the only thing that will transfer, at least symbolically, as the new reign of King Frederik X begins. The new Queen Mary will be entrusted with some particularly special crown jewels, wearable relics of Denmark’s long royal history.

Inside the walls of Rosenborg Slot, the seventeenth-century castle built as a retreat for King Christian IV of Denmark, a special collection of glittering jewels sparkles for visitors from around the globe. Ticketed guests meander through the renaissance palace until they finally reach the Treasury. Inside are the diadems used to crown historic Danish monarchs, from the days when the nation was ruled by an absolute monarch, and the regalia used during their coronation. And along one wall is a series of lighted display cases filled with a series of unique jewelry sets. The four sets, called “garnitures,” are some of the only crown jewels in the world that are both displayed in a museum and still worn regularly by the highest-ranking woman in the realm.