diamond necklace
France

The Affair of the Diamond Necklace

By the time of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette’s popularity was already declining, and her reputation was tarnished by gossip. The necklace in question was commissioned by King Louis XV of France, who was Marie Antoinette’s grandfather-in-law, in 1772, probably for his mistress, Madame du Barry. The necklace cost approximately 2 million [read more]

queen an wilson
Book Reviews

Book News February 2023

*contains affiliate links*   The Boleyns: From the Tudors to the Windsors  Hardcover – 15 October 2022 (UK) & 15 February 2023 (US) Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed on 19 May 1536. Her sister Mary, rumoured mistress to the monarch, lived on and survived the king’s wrath. But this is [read more]

The Festoon Necklace
Elizabeth II

The Festoon Necklace

The Festoon necklace is “composed of 83 brilliants in cut-down collets, the three largest cushion-shaped, set as three graduated chains suspended from triangular clasps at either side, pave-set with a further 22 stones, and joined by a single back-chain with clasp; the individual collets with old spiral links, now fixed.” Embed from Getty Images The [read more]