The tragic princess whose tiaras now belong to Three Queens

Her life ended at 38, but her tiaras and bracelets continue to live on, and today, we can trace the story of Margaret of Connaught through her jewel box. Almost every piece became a path to a new future. Some traveled with her legacy to Denmark, some to Sweden, and some to Greece. And they all still shine, reminders of the princess they called Daisy. But every story has its beginning. To understand the journey of her jewels, we need to return to where it all started, to little Daisy herself. Before we begin, please support my channel by clicking on the like and subscribe buttons. Thank you. Our story begins on a specific day, January 15, 1882, at Bagshot Park in Surrey. This was the day Princess Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Nora was born, the first child of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strethern, and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. Her grandmother, Queen Victoria, noted the arrival in her journal with a certain dry wit, writing, Always girls, my 18th granddaughter. Just two months later, on March 11th, the infant princess was baptized in the private chapel at Windsor Castle. To her family, she was affectionately known as Daisy. She and her younger siblings, Arthur and Patricia, grew up traveling often with their parents, though Bagshot Park remained their official home. Daisy received a refined education, which included special training in oil painting from the French impressionist Madeleine Fleury. Her first major public appearance came when she was just 11, serving as a bridesmaid at the 1893 wedding of her cousin, the future King George V, to Mary of Teck. By the time they were teenagers, Daisy and her sister Patricia were widely considered two of the most beautiful and, therefore, most eligible princesses in all of Europe. This reputation set the stage for a journey that would change Daisy's life forever. In January 1905, the Connacht family embarked on a tour orchestrated by Daisy's uncle, the new King Edward VII, who was keen to see his nieces on European thrones. Their first stop was Portugal, where they were received by King Carlos I and his family. The hope was that one of the princesses might capture the heart of a future king and one day become Queen of Portugal. But destiny had other plans. The family traveled on, visiting Spain before continuing to Egypt and the Sudan. It was there, in Cairo, amidst a study tour of the pharaoh's tombs, that Daisy was introduced to Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, grandson of King Oscar II. According to some accounts, the original plan was for him to meet her sister Patricia, but from the very first moment, the connection between Gustav Adolf and Daisy was electric. Sources describe it as love at first sight. Their whirlwind romance culminated before they even left the country when the prince proposed during a dinner at the British consulate. Daisy accepted without hesitation. Both of their families were thrilled with the match. Events moved with remarkable speed, and the wedding was set for that same year on June 15, 1905. The ceremony took place in the historic St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, followed by a luncheon hosted by Gustav's parents. After a honeymoon at Adair Manor in Ireland, the newlyweds arrived at their new home, Sofiero Palace in Sweden, on July 8. The palace itself was a wedding gift from the groom's grandfather, King Oscar II. For the young princess, now about to become crown princess of Sweden, this was the moment her own personal collection of jewels would truly begin. The wedding gifts started to arrive from across Europe, each a magnificent treasure. This is where our story really begins to sparkle, as we see the first foundational pieces being placed in Daisy's jewel box. And we are about to see just how these incredible gifts would go on to have lives of their own, traveling through generations and across kingdoms. The wedding gifts that arrived for Daisy in 1905 formed the foundation of a collection whose influence is still felt across three monarchies today. Let's look at the most significant pieces that filled her new jewel box. First, a spectacular gift from her own parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. The Connaught Diamond Tiara, made by E. Wolfe and Company in 1904, is an incredibly delicate and beautiful piece. It's composed of five distinctive upright loops of forget-me-not wreaths with dangling diamond pendants connected by upside-down bows supporting single diamond uprights. The tiara is wonderfully versatile and can be detached from its frame to be worn as a necklace, and the pendants can even be worn separately as earrings. Daisy wore it often for splendid portraits and events. This tiara would remain in Sweden, eventually becoming so closely associated with her daughter-in-law, Princess Sibylla, that it is sometimes called Princess Sibylla's Tiara within the royal family. Next, a gift that was a perfect tribute to their romance. The Khadive of Egypt presented the couple with a stunning diamond wreath scroll tiara from the legendary House of Cartier. It was such a thoughtful, symbolic nod to Cairo, the city where they fell in love. Daisy clearly cherished it, wearing it not only as a tiara, but also ingeniously fixed as a bodice ornament in one of her most iconic portraits. In a beautiful piece of historical foreshadowing, this tiara would later travel to Denmark with Daisy's only daughter, Ingrid, where it would begin a touching and unbroken family tradition as the wedding tiara for all of her female descendants. From the sands of Egypt to the royal chapels of Scandinavia, what a journey for a single jewel. From her uncle and aunt, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, came a magnificent splash of color, a ruby and diamond tiara. It's a classic, elegant design of floral motifs, and like many pieces from this era, it was versatile enough to also be worn as a necklace. Now, for those of you familiar with the modern Swedish royal collection, this tiara might look familiar, but I can tell you its path into the main vaults was far from straightforward. It has one of the most winding and dramatic stories of all of Daisy's jewels, and I promise we will come back to that tale a little later. From her new husband's grandmother, Queen Sophia of Sweden, Daisy received a graceful diamond laurel wreath made by the French jeweler Boucheron. Interestingly, Daisy was only ever photographed wearing this piece as a necklace, draped elegantly with her court dress. It was her future daughter-in-law, the beloved Princess Lillian, who would be the first to wear it as the stunning tiara we know today. After being inherited by Daisy's third son, Prince Bertil, it became Lillian's signature jewel. Upon her passing, she bequeathed it to Crown Princess Victoria, a touching gesture ensuring it remained in the family she loved. A more intimate, but no less lovely gift came from the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. They had been early witnesses to the couple's romance, having been on holiday in Egypt when Gustav and Daisy met. As a memento, they gave Daisy a classic brooch, a single large cabochon turquoise of an exquisite color surrounded by four brilliant diamonds. This simple, elegant piece was passed from Daisy to her daughter Ingrid, and then to her granddaughter, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. It has become a quiet but constant presence in the Danish collection. In fact, it's one of the brooches the Queen has worn most often throughout her life. From her new parents-in-law, Crown Prince Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, came a truly unique piece made in 1905 by the court jeweler Koch in Frankfurt. The Egyptian necklace is composed of five rows of seed pearls, set with emerald, ruby, and sapphire cabochon scarabs. The scarab, of course, is a traditional Egyptian symbol. And here is a detail I just love. Each scarab is topped by a tiny diamond letter M. That M is such a personal romantic touch, isn't it? A tribute to Margaret, and another echo of their engagement. This necklace was most notably worn by Daisy for a portrait with her two eldest sons around 1910. Its inheritance path took it to For decades, it was famously worn by his wife, the glamorous and much-loved Princess Lillian. She began wearing the necklace only after her wedding in 1976, often pairing it with another of Daisy's pieces, the Boucheron Laurel Wreath Tiara. This combination became an iconic look for countless state banquets and Nobel Prize ceremonies. After Prince Bertil's death in 1997, the necklace remained with Princess Lillian. Upon her own passing in 2013, she bequeathed this unique and sentimental jewel to Queen Sylvia. This brought it back into the mainline of the Swedish royal family. It's a fascinating final note that as of today, Queen Sylvia has not yet worn the necklace in public. It remains a treasure in the vaults, waiting for its next chapter to begin. Finally, we simply cannot talk about Daisy's style without mentioning pearls. If tiaras were for formal occasions, then pearls were her faithful companion throughout her life, a signature of the Edwardian style that she wore with effortless grace. This love for pearls can be traced back to her earliest childhood. In a portrait commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1885, a three-year-old Daisy is depicted wearing a delicate pearl necklace. This fondness continued into her youth and, of course, was reflected on her wedding day, when she accessorized her wedding dress with a long strand of pearls. Naturally, her 1905 wedding became the perfect occasion to add to her existing collection. Among her gifts were several magnificent pearl jewels, including a diamond and pearl brooch from Empress Eugenie of France, and a pearl necklace with sapphire drops from Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. The journey of these more everyday jewels is less precisely documented than that of her grand tiaras, but we can follow a clear, luminous thread. We know that after 1920, a portion of her pearls were inherited by her only daughter, Ingrid. They became as much a staple for the future Queen of Denmark as they had been for her mother. Today, that legacy continues with her granddaughter and namesake, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. When you see Queen Margrethe wearing her signature ropes of pearls, it is almost certain that some of those very pearls once belonged to Daisy. There's a particularly lovely photograph from the 2007 christening of her granddaughter, Princess Isabella, where Queen Margrethe is wearing not only pearls, but also a pair of diamond and ruby earrings that once belonged to Crown Princess Margrethe. It's these quiet connections, woven through generations, that I find so moving. Alongside all the glittering tiaras and historic necklaces, there was a much quieter, more intimate tradition that began with Daisy herself. In photographs, both she and her sister Patricia are often seen wearing the same simple piece, a slender, open-ended gold bangle. Its origins are not entirely clear. Some suggest they may have been gifts from their parents, but whatever the case, it became a beloved family custom. Daisy passed this tradition to her daughter, Ingrid, and in time it became established that each young princess would receive her bracelet on her fifth birthday. Ingrid gave one to each of her daughters, Margrethe, Benedicte, and Annemarie, and they, in turn, have worn them throughout their lives, from informal family gatherings to glittering state banquets. Today, the thread remains unbroken. The same style of bracelet can be seen on the wrists of Queen Margrethe's granddaughters, Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine, as well as on the daughters of Princess Benedicte a simple band of gold, quietly connecting five generations of women back to Daisy of Connaught. Beyond the spectacular diamonds and rubies, there was another gemstone that clearly held a special place in Princess Margrethe's heart, turquoise. There's a softness and a personality to turquoise that feels so different from the formal glitter of other court jewels. It speaks of a more personal style, and Margrethe's collection included several truly wonderful pieces that have gone on to have fascinating lives of their own. One of the most intriguing is a small, delicate piece known as the Connaught Turquoise Bandeau. We have photographs of Margrethe wearing it, a lovely beaded band worn low across the forehead in the fashionable style of the time. It appears to be made of delicate rows of beads, possibly a combination of turquoise and pearls. After Margrethe's passing, we know it was inherited by her daughter, Ingrid. In fact, we have a clear photograph of a young Princess Ingrid wearing it in 1926 for the wedding of her cousin, Princess Astrid of Sweden. It's a wonderful historical marker. And this is where the story gets a little mysterious. Some have speculated that this little bandeau might have been converted from a bracelet or a necklace, which would make sense given its flexible design. But after that wedding in 1926, the trail for this particular piece seems to go cold. Its current whereabouts are unknown, leaving it as one of the quiet little mysteries in the family's collection. But where one story fades, another begins with brilliant clarity. And that is the story of the Turquoise Daisy Bandeau. This is such a charming and sentimental piece. It features a delicate line of eleven daisy-like flowers crafted from turquoise and diamonds that decrease in size. Given that Margrethe's family nickname was Daisy, it's hard not to feel a very personal connection here. The tiara was passed to her only daughter, Princess Ingrid, and was formally given to her in 1926 as a confirmation gift. I find that so touching, not just an inheritance, but a meaningful gift for a significant rite of passage. Ingrid cherished the tiara, and it eventually passed to her eldest daughter, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, another daisy in the family. For years she wore it and occasionally lent it to other family members. But its most beautiful chapter was yet to come. In a wonderful full circle moment, in 2025, Queen Margrethe gave the Turquoise Daisy Bandeau to her granddaughter, Princess Isabella, to mark her 18th birthday. It was Isabella's very first tiara, a sparkling thread connecting her not only to her grandmother and great-grandmother, but all the way back to her great-great-grandmother, Daisy of Connaught, a confirmation gift from 1926 reborn as a coming of age gift nearly a century later. This bandeau is actually part of a much larger collection of jewels, the Danish antique Turquoise Perure. A fascinating story surrounds this set. It's believed that some of the pieces may have originally belonged to Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, passing down through generations until they reached Margrethe's collection. When Princess Ingrid moved to Denmark, this magnificent Turquoise Perure came with her, becoming a cornerstone of the Danish royal collection. Queen Margrethe inherited it in turn and has taken full advantage of its versatility, wearing the various brooches and earrings both together and separately. She has since gifted some of these pieces, ensuring the legacy continues to And of course, weaving through all these stories is that lovely simple piece we met earlier, the Devonshire Brooch. It's so wonderful to see how Queen Margrethe II has kept it as a constant in her wardrobe, a quiet and elegant anchor that brings the story of her grandmother's turquoises right into the present day. Beyond the vibrant turquoise, another element of Daisy's collection perfectly captures the spectacular grandeur of state occasions, the icy brilliance of aquamarines. A true showstopper in Daisy's collection is the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoschnik. This is a truly magnificent tiara composed of seven massive aquamarines set within a delicate diamond trellis frame. The kokoschnik, or cockerel's crest shape, was very fashionable in the early 20th and this piece is a breathtaking example. While it dates from that era, it was not among Daisy's illustrated wedding gifts, so it may have been acquired or inherited later. How and when it entered her collection remains a gentle mystery. After Daisy's death, this magnificent tiara remained firmly in the Swedish line of the family. It was inherited by her eldest son, Prince Gustav Adolf, and became a signature piece for his wife, Princess Sybilla. She wore it with such regal grace, the icy blue of the stones perfectly complementing her style. As the mother of the current King of Sweden, Princess Sybilla was a pivotal figure and she passed this important heirloom to her eldest daughter, Princess Margaretha. She received it as a wedding gift from her mother in 1964, wearing it for her wedding ball at the Princess Margaretha wore it for significant family events in the 60s and 70s, including the weddings of her cousins in Denmark. But as she lived a quieter life in the United Kingdom, the tiara was not seen publicly for many years. So long, in fact, that many royal watchers feared it had been sold. Then, in a wonderful surprise, Princess Margaretha appeared wearing the tiara at her niece Crown Princess Victoria's wedding in 2010. The truth of its status was later clarified. Princess Margaretha still owns the tiara, but in a wonderful family arrangement. She now keeps it in the royal vaults in Sweden, making it available for other ladies of the family to use. And they certainly have. Her sister, Princess Christina, wore it in 2014 and 2015. Princess Madeleine has donned it for the Nobel Prize ceremony and in new official portraits. And Crown Princess Victoria debuted the heirloom at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2017, even adding a diamond riviera to its base for a bit of extra sparkle. Most recently, Princess Sophia wore it in 2024, proving this heirloom is more active than ever. What a wonderful way to see a jewel shared. We've seen how Princess Margaret's jewel box was filled with magnificent wedding gifts, each with its own story. But in 1920, that story took a sudden, tragic turn. Margaret died, never to become Queen of Sweden. It was her father's 70th birthday. She was just 38 years old and eight months pregnant with her sixth child. Her death was a profound shock across Europe. This heartbreaking moment became a pivotal point for her jewelry collection. The single brilliant collection was now to be divided among her five children. It was here that the river of her legacy split into five distinct streams, sending these historic jewels on their own unique journeys across the map of European royalty. We've touched upon some of these paths, but now let's follow each one from that crucial starting point. First, the Danish branch, which flowed through her only daughter, Princess Ingrid. This is a story of creating new traditions. Ingrid inherited the romantic kadiv of Egypt tiara, and in her hands, it wasn't just another beautiful diadem. She gave it a new and profound purpose. It became the family's wedding tiara, a sparkling link of continuity passed to her daughters, Anne-Marie, Margrethe, and Benedicte, and then to their daughters on their wedding days. After Queen Ingrid's death, the tiara itself was inherited by her youngest daughter, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. But in a testament to the strength of family bonds, Anne-Marie has beautifully continued her mother's tradition, ensuring this special tiara remains the family's bridal heirloom. Ingrid also received the charming turquoise bandeau, which we know was a confirmation gift to her in 1926. It then passed to her daughter, Queen Margrethe II, who nearly a century later gave it to her own granddaughter, Princess Isabella, for her 18th birthday in 2025. It's a beautiful rhythm of life's great milestones. The antique turquoise perure and her mother's beloved pearls also went with Ingrid to Denmark, forming the foundation of a magnificent collection that is still central to the Danish royal house today. The second branch, the main Swedish line, passed through her eldest son, Prince Gustaf Adolf. His inheritance was destined to remain at the heart of the future monarchy. He received the glorious Connaught diamond tiara, which became the signature piece of his wife, Princess Sibylla. She wore it so often and with such elegance that within the family, it's often simply called Princess Sibylla's tiara. It has since been worn by Queen Sylvia and all her daughters, a constant glittering presence at the most important state functions. He also inherited the magnificent Swedish aquamarine kokosnik, which, after being worn by Princess Sibylla, was passed to her daughter, Princess Margrethe, and is now part of that wonderful sharing arrangement within the Swedish royal family. The third stream of inheritance flowed to Margrethe's son, Prince Bertil, and his jewels tell a story of great love and patience. He inherited the boucheron laurel wreath, which Margrethe had only ever worn as a necklace, but for his wife, Princess Lilian, it was transformed. She was the first to wear it as a spectacular tiara, and it became her most iconic jewel, a symbol of her long-awaited place in the royal family. She also frequently wore the Egyptian scarab necklace, another piece from Bertil's inheritance. In a final, touching gesture, Princess Lilian ensured these treasures remained with the family she had come to love so dearly, bequeathing the laurel wreath to Crown Princess Victoria and the necklace to Queen Sylvia. Now, remember I promised we'd return to the ruby tiara with the dramatic backstory? Its journey began with the fourth branch of inheritance, belonging to Daisy's son, Prince Sigvard. After he inherited it, the tiara's journey became perhaps the most complex of all. What followed was a contentious family episode. Sigvard later claimed that he had only loaned the tiara to his father, King Gustaf VI Adolf, in exchange for funds. The king, however, maintained it was a legitimate sale. Upon his death, the king didn't return it to Sigvard, but instead left the tiara to Sigvard's own son, Michael. The story takes another turn when Michael, in turn, also sold the tiara, this time to his cousin, the new king, Karl XVI Gustaf. And so, after this long and winding path, its ownership was finally settled, and it was brought back home to the main royal collection. Queen Sylvia now wears it often and with great elegance, and its story came full circle when it was worn for the first time by Princess Madeline in 2025, beautifully securing its future for another generation. Finally, the fifth branch flowed to her youngest son, Prince Karl Johan. He inherited a beautiful antique diamond necklace. His wife, Countess Kirsten, cleverly adapted it, wearing it both as a necklace and, mounted on a frame, as a delicate tiara for gala events. And here, our map has one last intriguing blank space. After Countess Kirsten's time, the public trail of this lovely diamond jewel goes quiet. Its current location remains one of the family's gentle mysteries, a quiet final note in the great division of Margaret's incredible legacy. I began this story by saying that Princess Margaret's life was cut short at just 38, far too soon for her to ever wear the crown of Sweden. But as we've journeyed through her collection, it's clear her story didn't end there. Her jewel box wasn't silenced. It simply began to sing in three different keys, in Denmark, in Sweden, and in Greece. From this one remarkable collection, new legacies were born. A romantic wedding gift was transformed into a sacred bridal tradition for a new royal house. A grand kokoschnik became a shared family treasure, strengthening the bonds between sisters and cousins. A magnificent necklace, once a gift from a queen, was reborn as the signature tiara of a beloved princess. And through it all, the quieter traditions, the soft glow of pearls, and the glint of a simple gold bracelet have become a constant intimate language of family. For me, these are the moments I love most, when you recognize the familiar, graceful lines of a tiara on a modern princess, and for a moment, you're transported back to a portrait of Daisy from a century ago. It's a quiet conversation across time. If this story felt as moving and fascinating to you as it did to me, please consider leaving a like and subscribing. There are so many more royal jewel boxes waiting for us to explore. Thank you for sharing this cup of tea with me.