Queen Silvia looked regal as ever in a series of new portraits with King Carl XVI Gustaf released by the Swedish royal family on Wednesday, January 7, and her stunning diamond tiara holds a fascinating history. The images were released to celebrate a big year ahead for the royal couple, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June and the king's 80th birthday in April.
In the photos, snapped by photographer Elisabeth Toll at Drottningholm Palace, 82-year-old Queen Silvia wears an elegant emerald green set she's worn on numerous occasions since 2018. The Georg et Arend design features a satin evening skirt and an off-the-shoulder lace top, and the queen paired the outfit with one of the royal collection's most show-stopping tiaras.
Queen Silvia chose the Braganza Tiara for the historic portraits, and the design dates back to the early 19th century. Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia, founder of Abelini, says that the tiara was commissioned for the Brazilian imperial court "before entering the Swedish royal family through Queen Josefina," making it a particularly unique piece in the family's collection.
"Very few tiaras in active royal rotation can claim both imperial and dynastic provenance, which places it in a category of its own," the jewelry expert continues.
Rakholia points out that the tiara's craftsmanship is "extraordinary," with the towering design featuring "scrolling foliate motifs set against multiple tiers that rise dramatically at the center." While a number of other European tiaras have been altered over the years, the Braganza remains as "one of the clearest surviving examples of the monumental tiara tradition."
Other headpieces in the family's collection, like the Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara or the Cameo Tiara, have been worn by multiple family members, but the Swedish queen is the only person who wears the Braganza Tiara.
Rakholia calls it a "symbolic" choice for the photos, adding that since 2026 marks a milestone year for the king and queen, "selecting a tiara with such historic and cross-continental lineage situates Silvia within a continuum of royal women who have used jewelry to communicate stability, heritage and statehood."
Of course, putting a valuation on a priceless piece of royal history is nearly impossible, but the jewelry expert notes that "a modern recreation using comparable diamonds would enter the eight-figure range."
