Queen Sofia of Sweden's Sapphire and Diamond Brooch|Queen of Sweden|Princess Sophia of Nassau Royal Jewels Deep blue Burmese sapphire is embellished with a double border of brilliant-cut diamonds. Napoléon III presented the brooch to the then Duchess of Östergötland ( Ostrogothia) when she visited Paris in 1865. By then the bad blood between the Bonapartes and the Bernadottes, caused by Carl Johan’s «betrayal» of Napoléon I, was a thing of the past. That same year, Napoléon III, who was a first cousin of Sophie’s mother-in-law, Dowager Queen Josephine, stood godfather to Sophie’s youngest child, Prince Eugen Napoleon Nicolaus. Queen Sophie of Sweden wore it as a brooch and «bequeathed the jewel to her second son», Prince Oscar Bernadotte, but there is in fact no such specific bequest in her will. (She did, however, specifically bequeath other jewels to her daughters-in-law, her granddaughters and her great-niece Princess Sophie of Luxembourg). The inventory of her jewels drawn up after her death shows that it was at that time part of a pendant but could be dismantled to be worn as a brooch. In 1929, Prince Oscar Bernadotte gave it to his youngest daughter, Countess Elsa Bernadotte af Wisborg, when she married Hugo Cedergren. Elsa Victoria „Tess“ (1893–1996) ? 1929 Carl Axel Cedergren (1891–1971) In 1974, the childless Elsa Cedergren gave it to her nephew, Count Folke «Ockie» Bernadotte af Wisborg and then to his daughter, Maria Bernadotte af Wisborg Ganfini. Now the sapphire and diamond pendant brooch is, since 2003, in the Collection of Albion Art.       Queen Sophia of Sweden's Sapphire and Diamond Brooch|Queen of Sweden|Princess Sophia of Nassau Royal Jewels   When Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette of Nassau was born on 9 July 1836 at Biebrich Palace, few could have foreseen that this English-speaking, intellectually curious German princess would one day become the moral backbone of the Scandinavian courts. Sophia grew up in a court that was considered strikingly liberal for its time. English—not German—was the language of her childhood nursery. She read widely, discussed politics, and developed an early admiration for the British parliamentary system. Her brothers teasingly called her “Unsere demokratische Schwester”—our democratic sister. Unlike most princesses, Sophia was trained in fencing to strengthen her posture. She socialized with scholars and artists and preferred what contemporaries described as a middle-class Victorian lifestyle over ostentatious royal display. Religion and discipline shaped her inner life; intellectual curiosity shaped her outer world. The revolutions of 1848 left a deep impression on her. She witnessed unrest in Nassau and saw firsthand how fragile dynastic stability could be. In the winter of 1853–54, Princess Sophia and her mother traveled to Saint Petersburg, where her maternal aunt, Princess Charlotte of Württemberg, was married to Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia. The visit was not intended as a marriage mission—conversion to Orthodoxy was out of the question—but as an educational experience in grand court life. There, Sophia studied piano under the celebrated Anton Rubinstein. The splendor of the Russian court contrasted sharply with Nassau’s relative simplicity. When the Crimean War broke out, mother and daughter left Russia abruptly—another reminder of how swiftly politics could reshape destiny. In July 1856, at Monrepos Castle near Nassau, Sophia met Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland. Prince Oscar had toured Europe in search of a suitable bride. Several candidates declined him; others failed to inspire him. Princess Sophia of Nassau, however, did. Contrary to later assumptions, theirs was not merely a dynastic calculation. They fell in love. Their engagement was announced in autumn 1856, and Sophia began studying Swedish history and language with determination. Soon, she was corresponding with Oscar in Swedish—and quickly mastered Norwegian as well. On 6 June 1857, they married at Wiesbaden-Biebrich. When Sophia entered Stockholm on 19 June 1857, she wore blue—and the color became symbolic. The crowds, hopeful for a secure succession, nicknamed her Den Blåa Hertiginnan—“The Blue Duchess.” Sweden’s dynastic situation was delicate. The reigning crown prince had no sons. Duchess Sophia’s role was clear: she must secure the Bernadotte line. In 1858, she gave birth to a son, the future Gustaf V. According to traditional court protocol, ministers and court officials gathered outside the bedchamber to witness the legitimacy of the birth. The event sealed her popularity. After King Oscar I died in 1859, Sophia’s husband became heir apparent. The couple moved into Arvfurstens Palats in Stockholm. Sophia’s personality stood in marked contrast to the French-influenced brilliance of her brother-in-law King Charles XV’s court. Where others embraced elegance and lightness, Princess Sophia embodied seriousness and restraint. Deeply religious, she introduced stricter moral expectations and cultivated charitable and intellectual interests. This difference created tension—but it also defined her historical role: she became a stabilizing force. After giving birth three times in as many years, Sophia’s health weakened. She undertook restorative journeys to Nice and Germany. These travels were not mere leisure; they were part of the 19th-century aristocratic culture of climate therapy. In 1864, she oversaw the creation of Sofiero Palace by the Öresund. From its terraces one could see Denmark across the water. Sofiero became more than a summer residence—it was a stage for Scandinavian family diplomacy, where Swedish and Danish royals met informally yet strategically.       Ruby Diamond Set of Queen Silvia of Sweden| Royal Jewel History Princess Birgitta of Sweden Sapphire Diamond Brooch | Princess Alice Countess of Athlone | Royal Marriage Gift Artdeco Brosche mit Diamanten und Saphir |Art deco Diamond Sapphire Brooch | Princess Sibylla of Sweden Boucheron Laurel Wreath Necklace Tiara | Margaret of Connaught | Crown Princess of Sweden Jewels Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden Jewels | Diamond Serpent Bracelet| Royal Jewel History Crown Princess Louise of Sweden | Queen | Royal Jewelry Emerald Cross Luise Ulrike Princess of Prussia and her mother Sophie Dorothea Queen of Prussia wearing Diamond Buttons     Large Version of the Queen of Sweden Queen Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, her daughter-in-law, wearing the diamond buttons as hair-jewel Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden Scarab Necklace|Royal Jewel History Khedive of Egypt Tiara Diamond Diadem| Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Princess of Connaught|Royal Jewel History Princess Wedding Gift Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden's Khedive of Egypt Diadem Diamond Tiara| Royal Wedding Gift Margaret Princess of Connaught|Royal Jewelry History Princess Princess Bernadotte Jewels |Marianne Countess of Wisborg Royal Jewelry Sweden Prinzess Desiree of Sweden, Lozenge Diamond Pendant Brooch earlier worn by Queen Louise of Sweden Royal Wedding Princess Birgitta of Sweden at Stockholm | Bernadotte Imperial Royal Cameo Diadem Church-wedding at Sigmaringen | Die kirchliche Hochzeitsfeier von Birgitta von Schweden Royal Wedding Gift Princess Birgitta of Sweden| Jewels | Hochzeitsgeschenke Prinzessin Birgitta von Schweden | House of Hohenzollern Perlen-Diamant Diadem Hochzeitsgeschenk des Königs von Schweden| Royal Wedding Jewelry History Royal Wedding present to Princess Birgitta of Sweden | Royal Mariage Gifts Jewelry History Princess Sibylla of Sweden | Royal Jewel History| Fife Row Pearl Necklace with Sapphire Clasp Erbprinzessin Sibyllas Perlen Collier mit Diamantschloss - grossem Saphir Cabochon| Prinzessin Birgitta von Schweden Hohenzollern Art deco Diamond Sapphire Brooch | Princess Sibylla of Sweden|Royal Jewel History Royal Wedding present to Princess Birgitta of Sweden| Faberge Sapphire Necklace Collier| Jewel History Royal Marriage Gift to Princess Sibylla | Faberge Sapphire Necklace Collier | Royal Jewel History Princess Bernadotte Jewels |Diamond Loop Tiara | Marianne Countess of Wisborg Royal Jewelry Sweden Princess Bernadotte Jewels |Diamond Necklace Pink Sapphires| Marianne Countess of Wisborg Royal Jewelry Sweden Lady Louise Mountbatten Queen of Sweden |Historic Emerald Cross Queen Louise of Sweden's Sapphire and Diamond Spray Brooch|Queen of Sweden | Lady Louise Mountbatten| Royal Jewels   Large historic Diamond Rose Brooch of Queen Silvia|Grand Duchess Baden|Bernadotte Sweden Royal Jewel History Josephine Queen of Sweden | Nicolo Intaglios Cameos Parure |PIERRES DURES | Bonaparte Imperial Royal Jewels history Leuchtenberg Schmuck Parure Tiara mit Cameen mit Achat, Onyx und Orientperlen |Nitot| Royaler Schmuck - Königliche Juwelen Josephine Queen of Sweden|Royal Swedish Cameo Tiara Bernadotte|Beauharnais Royal Imperial Jewels Queen Sophia of Sweden's Sapphire and Diamond Brooch|Queen of Sweden|Princess Sophia of Nassau Royal Jewels :::::::::::::: Saphir-Schmuck :::: Antiques Collier :::: Perlen-Collier

 

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