I’m only guessing, but could the brooch be some kind of keepsake from King Gustaf’s 90th birthday? Astrid was only 16 years old in 1948, but she did attend her grand uncle’s celebrations and she has worn the gold orchid brooch since the 1950s. I recently noticed that Astrid also wore the orchid brooch when King Carl XVI Gustaf was received on his first State visit in 1974. What do others think?
When King Gustaf V of Sweden turned 90 in 1948, he received an artwork of a gold orchid made of Venuzuelan mahogny from Swedish citizens living in Venezuela. Astrid’s orchid brooch looks like a replica of Gustav’s orchid gift (when you rotate the photo).
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