As far back as I can remember I've been fascinated by the links between the Cartiers and the British royal family.
It was this relationship, perhaps above all others, which enabled the Cartier brothers to fulfil their childhood dream of turning their grandfather's small Parisian store into the leading jewellery firm in the world.
It was after all Edward VII who famously called Cartier 'king of jewellers and jewellers of kings' — a phrase which must rank right up there among the most apt examples of a self-fulfilling prophecy. As soon as he said it, it became indisputably true and because of his early patronage, Cartier was awarded not simply the British royal warrant but further warrants from royal families across Europe.
All of which hopefully goes some way to explaining why I was so excited to be speaking with Caroline de Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art at the Royal Collection Trust, about the Cartiers and the British royal family for my next webinar.
We uncovered the stories behind jewels acquired by generations of the royal family, such as the 1930s Halo Tiara pictured here — made under my great-grandfather Jacques Cartier for the future King George VI as a gift for his wife, the future Queen Mother (left), later lent to Princess Margaret for her sister's coronation (right) and to the Duchess of Cambridge for her wedding to Prince William (centre).
We also took attendees on a journey through time: from the dazzling seasons and headache-inducing tiaras of Edwardian court life, to the princely gem-rich celebrations in bejewelled India and the glamour of the 1930s debutantes, all the way through to the changing fashions of post-war Britain and more recent royal weddings.
