Queen Alexandra - Wedding Gifts - Part 1

Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia was the daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousin Frederick VII as King of Denmark. She had five siblings, Frederick, George, Dagmar, later Empress of Russia, Thyra, and Voldemar. Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were already concerned with finding a bride for their son and heir, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. They enlisted the aid of their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia, in seeking a suitable candidate. Alexandra was not their first choice because the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over the Schleswig-Holstein, and most of the British royal family's relations were German. Eventually, after rejecting other possibilities, they settled on her as the only one to be chosen. On 24 September 1861, Crown Princess Victoria introduced her brother Albert Edward to Alexandra at Speyer. Almost a year later on 9 September 1862, Albert Edward proposed to Alexandra at the Royal Castle of Lichen. A few months later, Alexandra travelled from Denmark to Britain aboard the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert and arrived in Gravesend, Kent. On 7 March 1863, Sir Arthur Sullivan composed music for her arrival and poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote an ode in Alexandra's honour, See King's daughter from over the sea, Alexandra, Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, but all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, Alexandra, a welcome to Alexandra, Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Thomas Longley, the Archbishop of Canterbury, married the couple on 10 March 1863 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The choice of venue was criticised widely. As the ceremony took place outside London, the press complained that large public crowds would not be able to view the spectacle. Prospective guests thought it awkward to get to and, as the venue was small, some people who had expected invitations were disappointed. The Danes were dismayed because only Alexandra's closest relations were invited. The British court was still mourning Prince Albert, so ladies were restricted to wearing grey, lilac, or mauve. On the occasion of her marriage, Princess Alexandra was given by the ladies of North Wales this large emerald and diamond oval brooch with an emerald and diamond leek in the centre and cabochon emerald drop. The leek is the national symbol of Wales and the legend is in Welsh. It translates to Our Princess, the Ladies of North Wales brooch was inherited by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who wore the brooch to the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969. The diamond set brooch was a wedding gift from the Ladies of North Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The Prince of Wales feathers is encircled by 18 diamonds and 36 emeralds with a hanging emerald pendant. The feathers emerge from a coronet with a band of six emeralds and a ruby. A ribbon is engraved with the motto of the Prince of Wales Is Din Means I Serve. Additionally, on the occasion of her marriage, Princess Alexandra was given by the Ladies of North Wales a large emerald and diamond oval brooch with an emerald and diamond leek in the centre and cabochon emerald drop, along with matching earrings. The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII gave his wife an impressive start to her jewel collection, a parure of a diamond tiara with a pearl and diamond necklace, brooch, and earrings as a wedding gift in 1863. The tiara has become popularly known as the Rundell Tiara. Rundell, Bridge and Rundell was a London jewellery company, this tiara, however, was made by Gerard, as was the rest of the set. This is confirmed by Gerard's own ledger as well as contemporary descriptions of the gift. Plus Rundell jewellers were disbanded and ceased to hold a royal warrant after 1843. The tiara is in the style of a coronet and it can be flexible, the elements break down to brooches and the base can be worn with just the scrolls. Alexandra also wore the base with diamond stars on top instead of the scroll motifs. Princess Alexandra first wore the necklace, earrings, and brooch of the parure on her wedding day itself. After her death in 1925, Alexandra left specific instructions as to how her jewels should be divided up on her death. The tiara went to her daughter, Princess Victoria, while the rest of the parure went to her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary, with the earrings and brooch being inherited by the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1953 and Queen Elizabeth II inherited it upon the death of her mother in 2002. Queen Alexandra, at the Duchess of Devonshire's costume ball, is wearing another wedding present, in 1863, she received from Queen Victoria this suite of Indian ornaments, comprising a collar, armlet, and two bracelets, made from uncut emeralds, diamonds, and pearls. The seven-row collar of pearl and emerald beads was hung with a multitude of pearl drops and diamond pendants, which were enameled on the back. A badge presented to Princess Alexandra upon her wedding in 1863, at centre of token, image of leek on ground of diamonds, three pendants beneath, representing Saint David, the Dragon of Wales, and the Arms of Wales, surmounted token a bouquet of trefoil, oak, wheat, and mistletoe, emblematic of the Four Seasons, with the Welsh motto which translates, from South Wales to their Princess, the bracelet, also given to the Princess, was set with diamonds and emeralds, a leek in pearls being introduced into the design, the surrounding jewelled band presenting the legend in the Welsh language, God preserve our own Princess. The bracelet was in the possession of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who wore this emerald bracelet on her official visit to Rhodesia. It was the wedding gift to Princess Alexandra from the Danish King, her mother's cousin, King Frederick VII. It may well be the most splendid Danish wedding present ever given to a Danish Princess and reportedly cost £7,000 at the time of its manufacture. King Frederick had a deep personal interest in antiquarian studies and the idea that the wedding gift should include the very Danish historic cross was his, shortly after her wedding, the Princess took the necklace to Geroves to have the centre clusters made convertible into brooches, which involved some resetting. As Princess of Wales, she wore the multicoloured enamelled cross on a string of pearls, when Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh paid a state visit to Denmark in 1957 the Queen was wearing the necklace at the gala performance in the Royal Theatre, without the cross and the pear-shaped pearls.