Lady Anne Glenconner is no stranger to lifting the veil on her life as a royal Lady-in-Waiting. The British aristocrat, who was Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation in 1953 and was also a childhood friend of Princess Margaret, has become a best-selling author thanks to her memoirs and novels, which have detailed the glamorous events – and also the terrible tragedies – that shaped her life at the upper echelons of society.
Now, the 93-year-old baroness is set to share more of her sparkling secrets, as a selection of precious jewels from her private collection have just been sold at Bonhams.
The highlight of the sale was an antique diamond star tiara, which dates from around 1880 and was notably worn by Lady Glenconner for a 1983 portrait with other Maids of Honour from Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation. She also wore it to accompany her friend, Princess Margaret, to whom she was appointed Lady-in-Waiting in 1971, as she attended state banquets and royal tours.
The headpiece is composed of eight spectacular diamond stars, all mounted in silver and gold, with the largest star featuring a central diamond weighing roughly 3.5 carats. Taken together, the remaining cushion and old brilliant-cut diamonds weigh approximately 75 carats in total. In keeping with the trends from the time it was made, the pieces is transformable, and can be worn as a tiara with seven stars, or as a larger crown with all eight stars. The stars could also be removed and worn individually in the hair or as brooches.
The piece sold for £127,400 (about US$171, 071), more than double its lower pre-sale estimate of £50,000 (about US $66,276).
19 additional lots joined Lady Glenconner’s tiara in the sale, including a 1920s diamond dress watch by Cartier, which was given to Lady Glenconner by her mother-in-law, Lady Pamela Winefred Tennant, Baroness Glenconner (1903-1989), and featured a rectangular dial framed by single and baguette-cut diamonds, plus a rose-cut diamond crown.
Another ornate piece, an enamel and seed pearl snake bracelet dating from around 1840, was set with cabochon garnet eyes and bore the inscription, “Given by Adelaide Queen Dowager to Lady Susan Harcourt on her marriage 1849”. Elsewhere, a beautiful amethyst and diamond ring, which carried an estimate of between £4,000 – £6,000 (about US $5,300 – $7,949) was designed by the noble Sicilian jeweller, Fulco di Verdura, who was friends with both Lady Glenconner and Gabrielle Chanel.
“Lady Glenconner has led an extraordinary life, and her private jewellery collection epitomises her exceptional taste,” says Jean Ghika, Bonhams Global Head of Jewellery. “From timeless and chic to colourful and bold, Lady Glenconner’s eclectic collection of 19th and 20th century jewels includes a number of stylish pieces by coveted names including Cartier, Andrew Grima, David Webb and Fulco di Verdura.”
The eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, the former Lady Anne Coke was born in 1932 and grew up at her father’s ancestral home, Holkham Hall, in Norfolk – so vast, that apparently a raw egg carried in hot water by a servant from the kitchens would be boiled by the time it arrived at her breakfast table in the nursery. At the age of 23, she married Colin Tennant, later Lord Glenconner, who owned a Scottish castle and also the Caribbean island of Mustique, where the stars of the 60s and 70s, including Princess Margaret, had homes.
Aside from enormous luxury and privilege, Lady Glenconner’s life has also been marked by a series of tragedies. Her husband, Lord Glenconner, was physically abusive and eventually cut his family out of his will, leaving the bulk of his estate to his valet. Her two eldest sons, Charlie Henry, sadly died of drug- and AIDS-related illnesses. A third son, Christopher, was badly injured in a motorcycle accident in the 1980s and left with permanent brain damage.
In November, Bonhams held a separate sale of Lady Glenconner’s personal items, including art, fashion and even her Norman Harnell-designed wedding dress, which raised £570,406, nearly double the pre-sale estimate. The baroness has said she plans to give the proceeds of her jewellery sale to her remaining children.
Watch Lady Glenconner detail more about her extraordinary life here:
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