Queen Margrethe surprised royal onlookers as she made a shock announcement during her New Year's Eve speech – she announced that she would be abdicating the throne on 14 January, 52 years after her ascension, and would pass the crown to her son Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary.
The monarch, 83, looked so elegant as she made her speech in a high-neck purple dress and added an extra special touch – a breathtaking diamond brooch with a special legacy.
© GettyThe special brooch was a statement piece in the shape of a daisy which she teamed with a matching pair of earrings. As the royal jewellery blog Court Jeweller points out, the brooch previously belonged to the royal's maternal grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught. Princess Margaret was a British royal who married the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden before she died in 1920.
© GettyKing Gustaf VI Adolf and Princess Margaret had five children, including a daughter – Princess Ingrid. The brooch was gifted to Princess Ingrid by her father ahead of her wedding to Crown Prince Frederik in 1935. He chose a daisy shape as a nod to his late wife and used diamonds from her collection.
Princess Ingrid wore the brooch on her big day and the tradition was continued by Queen Margrethe when she married Henri Laborde de Monpezat in 1967.
© GettySpeaking exclusively to HELLO!, Steven Stone’s Creative Director Maxwell Stone tells us why he believes the monarch would have chosen this piece of jewellery in particular to wear when making such an important and historic announcement.
© Getty"Queen Margrethe is known for adding artistic flourishes to her outfits with her jewellery collection and she was wearing a particularly poignant brooch during her recent abdication announcement, " the expert says. "After loaning the brooch to her daughter, the then Crown Princess Margrethe, for her wedding in 1967, Queen Ingrid went on to gift her eldest daughter the brooch for her 60th birthday in 2000."
© Getty"It comes as no surprise that Queen Margrethe chose to wear the brooch while announcing her abdication as it’s laced with sentiment. The monarch has worn it on several important occasions throughout her lengthy reign – including her 80th birthday celebrations, the christening of Prince Christian and Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday," he added. "The design also allowed her to pay tribute to her beloved country as daisies are the national flower of Denmark."
© GettySteven concluded by telling us that he would estimate the piece to be worth around £160,000.
© GettyQueen Margarethe looked so regal when she stepped out for her first public appearance after the bombshell announcement – the New Year's banquet at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen on 1 January.
© ShutterstockThe Queen wore a floor-length red gown with layered jewels including a diamond and pearl necklace from the Khedive of Egypt and a grey fur coat.
© ShutterstockCrown Princess Mary also wowed. The royal, 51, was every inch a future queen in a deep pink velvet dress with long sleeves, a rounded neckline, and an embellished belt. The star of the show was her Danish Ruby Parure Tiara, which is made up of sparkling leaves dotted with pink berries made up of rubies.
