Princess Madeleine Steals the Show in Velvet, Sequins and a Napoleonic-Era Tiara That Was Discovered in a Palace Closet

The Swedish princess made a sparkling entrance at a Nobel Prize dinner.

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Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine in a suit and black and gown gown at a Nobel dinner
(Image credit: Alamy)

Just when you think tiara season (a.k.a. December) couldn't get any better, the Swedish royals made yet another glamorous appearance on Thursday, December 11. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held in Stockholm every December, and members of Sweden's royal family never fail to make a fashion statement at the formal events surrounding the Nobels.

This year, it was Princess Madeleine who stood out at King Carl Gustaf's Nobel dinner, wearing a New Year's Eve-ready gown by Monique Lhuillier. The plunging style featured a black velvet top with a shimmery gold sequined skirt, and Madeleine accented it with a historic tiara from the family's collection.

Although most tiaras are covered in diamonds, pearls or other precious gems, the Napoleonic Steel Cut Tiara stands out because it doesn't have any gemstones at all. The gold design is crafted from gold and polished steel beads, according to The Court Jeweller, and was created for Hortense de Beauharnais, Empress Joséphine's daughter and Queen of Holland, in the early 1800s.

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Prince Carl Philip in a tux and Princess Madeleine in a black and gold sequin gown

Prince Carl Philip and his sister, Princess Madeleine, are pictured at a dinner for Nobel Laureates on December 11.

(Image credit: Alamy)

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine posing with Chris O'Neill at a Nobel dinner

Madeleine's husband, Chris O'Neill, joined the group in another photo.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hortense's jewelry was passed down through the family and ended up in the hands of Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway, who died in 1876. But the tiara, along with a set of other jewelry, disappeared until it was discovered in 1976 by art historian Göran Alm, per The Court Jeweller.

Alm was looking for objects to include in an exhibition at the palace and happened to stumble upon the steel-cut treasures inside a storage cupboard. Fortunately, Queen Silvia had the pieces restored, and the tiara went into regular rotation with the royal family.

Along with her more than 200-year-old tiara, Princess Madeleine wore another piece of historic jewelry, wearing the same diamond earrings she wore on her wedding day. The enormous drop earrings date all the way back to the 1700s, and she paired them with a more modern piece in the form of a Cartier Love Bracelet, adding a gold cuff and a diamond bracelet to her ensemble.

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Kristin Contino
Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.