The longest strand of pearls looks longer than the four other strands, which are very close in length. Moreover, you can see, on the side of the Queen's neck, that the longest strand is overlapping the four shorter ones. So I guess that Queen Paola is wearing a four-strand pearl necklace + an added one-strand necklace. To be sure, we would need to have a back view, to check the clasps of the necklace(s)...
Queen Paola has regularly worn a four-strand pearl necklace. For example here for the Te Deum at Brussels cathedral for the National Holiday in July 2010 (I guess it is the same necklace that she has worn at Archduke Amedeo's wedding):
The pearl drop earrings worn by Queen Paola in Rome this week-end are simple, but beautiful. Very regal!
BTW, Queen Paola owns quite a lot of pearl earrings: pearl button earrings (worn on the above pic), pearl drop earrings with diamond chain, pearl drop earrings without chain (the pair worn in Rome this week-end), pearl drop earrings with pearl button (from Princess Luisa Ruffo di Calabria), pearl "half-moon" earrings (possibly a wedding gift from Princess Lilian, according to Christophe Vachaudez's book Bijoux des Reines et princesses de Belgique)...
I think we had come to the conclusion, some time ago, that the butterfly brooch comes from Princess Ingeborg of Sweden (Queen Astrid's mother). Someone had posted a pic of Princess Ingeborg wearing this brooch, but I can not succeed in finding it again... Could anyone post it again?
--Previous Message-- : Thank you for the clear picture, Tamara. : : I cannot recall Queen Paola wearing five : strands of pearls previously, she has : generally opted for the understated : necklace. : Are these her own pearls? : : --Previous Message-- : thanks to both of you..here is a slightly : better closeup of the dragonfly brooch : : : : --Previous Message-- : Dragonfly aquamarine and diamonds. : : : : : : : : :