The royal jewels - Suzy Menkes

This is a revised and updated edition of "The Royal Jewels", including additional pages of colour and new material on the Duchess of Windsor, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York.;The jewels of the British royal family are one of the most valuable and beautiful collections in the world and yet they are rarely glimpsed. This book looks at the collection and the people who have acquired and worn it from Queen Victoria to Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York.;The author also examines intriguing stories and anecdotes that have arisen over the years, revealing new information. How did Queen Mary wrest the Cambridge emeralds from her dead brother's mistress? Why did she bargain with exiled Russian relatives for their Romanov treasures? Were Indian rubies and emeralds used as a "gem mine" by later generations? Were the "Alexandra emeralds" snatched back from her in a plot masterminded by the royal family?;This book is an historical account of royal style and provides an insight into one of the most private sides of the royal family.;Suzy Menkes is also the author of "The Windsor Style".