Duchess of Windsor

Duchess of Windsor's Jewels Sell High At Auction

An onyx and diamond panther bracelet once owned by Wallis Simpson set a new world record for the most expensive bracelet ever sold at auction. The bracelet sold for £4.5 million ( $7.036 million) at Sotheby's London on Tuesday. The bracelet was part of a collection of jewels once owned by King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, that brought in almost £8 million, far above estimates that topped out just over £4 million. The sale was 100% sold.

Tags: duchess of windsor, jewelry auction, jewels at auction, king edward VII, sothebys, wallis simpson, wallis warfield simpson

Continue reading “Duchess of Windsor's Jewels Sell High At Auction”

Severn, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate, Severn, in Lattingtown, New York, is being marketed as the summer retreat of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The former king of England and his bride Wallis Simpson, spent the summer in the French Normandy-style estate in 1948. The home was built in 1935 and sits on four acres. The grounds include gardens, a cobblestone driveway and a four-car garage with a guest apartment. The home looks to have been extensively remodeled since the Windsor days including a new modern kitchen with an island. It is listed for $5.995 million with Daniel Gale Sotheby's.

[via Newsday]

Gallery: Severn

Tags: duchess of windsor, Duke of Windsor, estate of the day, King Edward VIII, lattingtown, new york real estate, wallis simpson

Continue reading “Severn, Estate of the Day”

Design Genius Dyson Restores Classic Steam Yacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

The name James Dyson, the British industrial designer who re-invented the vacuum cleaner, is synonymous with cutting-edge technology. When it comes to yachts, however, the brilliant billionaire apparently prefers the classics. Dyson has just spent millions refurbishing a stunning 1930 steam yacht with an impressive pedigree, which has just been relaunched. The 300 ft. long Nahlin (above) designed by G.L. Watson was originally built for a British heiress and was later owned by the Romanian Royal Family. She was also chartered in the 1930s by England's King Edward VIII and was for a time the setting of his controversial romance with Wallis Simpson which led to his abdication and the couple's becoming the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Discovered some years back operating as a dilapidated floating restaurant on the Danube, she caught Dyson's eye via yacht broker Nicholas Edmiston who brought the ship back to the UK. With help from the G.L. Watson archives, the yacht was completely restored and refitted at Blohm + Voss in Germany (builders of Roman Abramovich's Eclipse) with new diesel engines and period-correct paneling and moldings.

[via JamesList]

Tags: billionaire, Blohm + Voss, designer, Duchess of Windsor, Duke of Windsor, industrial design, inventor, King Edward VIII, royalty, UK, vacuum cleaner

Adorable Bunnies for Your Littlest Ones' Easter Baskets

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Children

Centered in the middle of most all Easter baskets for children is the ubiquitous stuffed bunny rabbit. Often they can be found in unappealing pastels and made out of questionable fabrics. For those who want their littlest Easter holiday participants to have a super soft, squeezable bunny and do not want to sacrifice quality for cuteness D. Porthault has several options.

In Paris at the turn of the 20th century D. Porthault opened his first lingerie store. His wife later pressured him into expanding into selling fine linens. They were one of the first stores to carry printed sheets. The patterns were inspired by a love of Impressionist art and the gardens at Giverny. By the 1940' the company was printing the world's first printed terry towels and would soon expand their line to include sheets made of cotton percale and voile in addition to flax. The company moved into custom bedding and "Les Coeurs", still one of their most coveted designs, was inspired by the sketches of Duchess of Windsor.

Tags: D.Porthault, duchess of windsor, easter, easter basket, easter bunny, EasterBasket, Linens

Continue reading “Adorable Bunnies for Your Littlest Ones' Easter Baskets”

Calvin and Kelly Klein Put The Duchess of Windsor's Necklace on the Block

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

The Magnificent Jewels auction at Sotheby's on December 4 offers the chance to bid on three lots of natural pearl and diamond jewels from the collection of Kelly and Calvin Klein. The pieces are a necklace, pendant and ear clips that were purchased by Calvin for Kelly at Sotheby's 1987 auction of "The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor" in Geneva. The single-strand natural pearl and diamond necklace by Cartier once belonged to Queen Mary who gave it to the Duke of Windsor. It consists of 28 natural pearls, bulbous and luminous, with a diamond clasp. The natural pearl and diamond pendant contains a 190.6-grain pearl topped by diamonds. The Kleins are also selling a pair of natural black and white pearl and diamond ear clips by Van Cleef and Arpels. The three lots have an estimated value of $2.2 million-$3.1 million. In the press release, Kelly Klein is quoted as saying that she hopes the pearls will be "given again, as they have been in the past, as a gesture of love and worn often and proudly.

Source

Tags: clavin klein, duchess of windsor, jewelry, kelly klein, natural pearls, necklace, pearls, sotheby's