Pricey British royal family heirlooms once belonging to the late Princess Margaret are back on the market – thanks to the popularity of Netflix hit The Crown.
After nearly a decade and a half since they were sold by her children, David Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, to cover inheritance tax bills and education debts, the late princess’s jewellery and furniture are up for grabs once again.
If your personal interior design taste includes old-school decadence, consider swapping your IKEA cupboard for something a little higher class.
A private collector, who bought 50 of the 800 items sold in 2006, is using the popularity of Netflix’s royal family drama series to mark up the price of the items.
“People are at home watching [The Crown], aren’t they? So it’s a great time to sell,” the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Times.
“It’s not just an investment. It’s a talking point, ‘I love your ring, darling,’ ‘Oh, yes. It was Princess Margaret’s, you know’ – what a great table conversation.
“The stuff should never have been sold in the first place. But here’s an opportunity. Wow. It’s a piece of history for your children’s children.”
One of the more coveted items in the collection includes a 5.16 carat diamond ring that sold in 2006 for £142,400 ($260,752), and is now priced at £1.1 million ($2 million).
Also featured is a Cartier wristwatch bought for Princess Margaret as a Christmas present in 1950, that was later sold by her children for £57,600 ($105,472)
Today, the wristwatch is on sale for £125,000 ($228,890).
It is unclear if Australia Post executives are considering entering a bid.
Selling the crown …
Long before Prince Harry was making waves with his marriage to actor Meghan Markle, it was Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth, who was known as the rebel of the royal family.
After falling in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend, Margaret abandoned her wedding plans following complications surrounding his status as a divorcee.
She instead married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, who became the Earl of Snowdon, in 1960, a unity that expanded the royal circles to include celebrities and socialites.
Throughout her life, Margaret was labelled as a ‘floozie’ by the press for her propensity to chain smoke and cheat on her husband with multiple men, resulting in her divorce in 1978 – the first senior royal to divorce in more than seven decades.
Following her death in 2002, her children caused controversy by auctioning some of her personal belongings for an eye-watering $25 million.
Some of the items included the tiara she wore on her wedding day and the bed belonging to the Queen’s grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.
The auction, which was held only four years after her death, was condemned by the media as tacky and tasteless.
At the time, her son said the funds would go towards “normal family requirements, such as educating her grandchildren”.
The post Princess Margaret’s personal items hit the market, thanks to <I>The Crown</I> appeared first on The New Daily.
Powered by WPeMatico
