The Duke of Westminster, or Bendor (1878-1953), aboard his yacht "The Flying Cloud" in 1925
The 4 Duchesses of Westminster
History of the Jewels of France
more information: Palace Hotels of the World
the beginning... Bendor, the Carlton's most glamorous guest
The extraordinary jewels given by the Duke of Westminster
His great passion was lavishing sumptuous gifts, without counting the cost, on the women he found beautiful... Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), who always said that "Diamonds are the Girls best friends", would probably have had a heart attack at the size of the jewels... but she had not yet been born. Well, she could have met him towards the end of Bendor's life, at the very start of her own career, but it never happened...
While still quite young, the Duke of Westminster began buying jewellery, not for himself, but to give away. His many conquests, Coco Chanel, and the 4 Duchesses (his successive wives over the years) were the recipients. He made his purchases mainly at Cartier, Van Cleef and Harry Winston.
Cartier Jewelry
Alfred Eisenstaedt
A passion for giving gifts He would also, on occasion, slip a jewel to a woman simply because he found her beautiful, much as one might spontaneously offer a cigarette. And if he was feeling a little shy, he would have flowers delivered with a jewel delicately tucked into the bouquet. The Carlton's concierge of old must have seen them from time to time...
In the last decade of his life, Bendor developed a rather particular passion: not buying jewellery in a jeweller's shop like any (wealthy) "Mr Everyman" but "hunting" for historic jewels, chiefly those that had belonged to the French Crown, among others to Empress Eugénie, its last queen, and by every means possible and imaginable.
In her day, the Empress had owned one of the largest jewellery collections in the world. She was a woman with a keen interest in the arts. Under her husband's reign, Paris was transformed by the works of Baron Haussmann. But in 1870 the war with Prussia brought about the end of the Second Empire (the reign of Napoleon III).
The new French Republic showed little gratitude for the imperial couple's achievements and their considerable historic legacy in architecture, so much so that today many French children do not even know that Empress Eugénie ever existed.
In keeping with this attitude, in 1887 France had the very strange idea of selling off the Crown Jewels, rather as if France today were to sell off the Louvre's collections at bargain prices in order to forget its past as quickly as possible. And so an entire treasure that had accompanied its history was lost.
Tracking down the French Crown Jewels was a treasure hunt that captivated the 2nd Duke, Hugh Grosvenor. And it was a very complicated hunt, since some treasures, such as the large parures, had even been transformed into brooches and various other pieces of jewellery.
It was best not to say too much about it, for the intended recipient of these gifts was neither the 3rd nor the 4th (and last) Duchess of Westminster, his wives, nor some pretty woman he wished to surprise.
She was a woman of such exceptional beauty that she had to leave her native country, because its President was so fascinated by her that the affairs of state suffered.
Neither English, nor French, nor American.... She will reappear in the 2nd part of this article.
Bendor had met her in 1939, between the Hotel Carlton in Cannes, a cocktail party in Paris and a Ball given by Lady Mendl at Versailles. Then, in 1939, she slipped away from him by emigrating to New York....
More about this beautiful woman coming soon...
Even the most extravagant jewellery purchases could not ruin Bendor, Hugh Richard Grosvenor, so immense was his income: thousands upon thousands of pounds sterling every second.... Owning half the heart of a great city like London... not bad at all.
Read on... the recipients of the Jewels
Video on various European jewels
A few websites related to this article:
The Cremerie de Paris exhibition centre. In the history of the Cremerie .... Aimée de Heeren, Bendor and Coco Chanel. The story of Chanel by VB.com. The story of Aimee de Heeren. A website on the history of brands: Very Beautiful = VB.com. In preparation: Palace Hotels of the World.com
Information website on the activities of the Dukes of Westminster, Grosvenor Estate, published by Bendor's heir, the 6th Duke of Westminster. Information website on the life of Empress Eugénie's husband, Napoleon III. Information website on the English Dukes