Re: Duchess of Cambridge - then to Francis - then....Archived Message
Posted by gillw on November 18, 2012, 2:59 am, in reply to "Duchess of Cambridge"
It was indeed the Duchess of Cambridge who won the emeralds and on her death they went to Mary's brother Francis, who bequeathed them to his mistress. Mary was outraged and demanded her mother's stones be returned:
"At the centre of the controversy was Prince Francis, brother-in-law of the future king, George V. The prince was a notorious gambler and womaniser, and portraits show an imposing figure with a fine set of seducer's waxed moustaches.
He died suddenly at the age of 39, after catching pneumonia at Balmoral in the autumn of 1910. To the outrage of his royal relations, he turned out to have bequeathed prized family jewels to a mistress, Ellen Constance, the countess of Kilmorey, who was known as Nellie. There was also talk of an illegitimate child.
Afraid of the scandal this might cause, Francis's sister Mary, then the Duchess of York, succeeded in persuading a judge to ban public knowledge of the will. But a draft version of the document has now emerged in Ireland, in the family papers of the Earl of Kilmorey.
The jewels, known as the Cambridge emeralds, were quietly bought back from the countess by Mary for £10,000, the equivalent of more than £600,000 today. Mary wore them round her neck when her husband was crowned and she became Queen Consort the following year.
The Kilmorey papers were deposited at the Belfast public records office and unearthed by BBC Radio 4's Document series. The records office says the documents "throw some light on Lady Kilmorey's unspoken, but widely recognised, role as chère amie of Prince Francis of Teck, who ... made embarrassingly generous provision for her in his will". "(http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/27/monarchy.topstories3)
--Previous Message-- : : According to the QD it was the Duchess of : Cambridge who won the emeralds. : She was grandmother to Queen Mary, and this : is her portrait - : : : http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/404039 : : : --Previous Message-- : Oh? I'd have to dig out my Field which is : not : handy presently, so I'll gladly stand : corrected if it was Princess Mary's mother : who won the box of emeralds. : : "Box of emeralds!" I just adore : how that sounds. : : --Previous Message-- : I always thought that the Emeralds had been : won by M-A's mother, the Duchess of : Cambridge. : : --Previous Message-- : Exactly, I always had the same thought: : 'what : kind of charity bazaar gives those precious : prices, and what sort of donation you have : to make, in order to participate in the : lottery'! : Or maybe there is no this sort of : considerations to make, it's just a big : jackpot for the lucky winner. : : : : : : : : :
on November 18, 2012, 2:59 am, in reply to "