Wallis Simpson, born on June 19, 1896, in Pennsylvania, United States, gained worldwide notoriety for her role in the abdication crisis of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom.
While her relationship with the British monarch remains the most well-known aspect of her life, Wallis Simpson had an unparalleled passion for exquisite jewellery. Her dazzling collection featured an extensive array of breathtaking Rubies, mesmerising Emeralds, and an impressive collection of bejewelled animals.
Having been his mistress for a number of years, upon his ascension to the throne in January, Wallis Simpson believed that her relationship with the new King Edward VIII would come to an end. However, his love for her only grew stronger, eventually reaching a level of obsession.
Despite Edward’s strong desire for Wallis to become his queen, the government and the Church of England would not accept a divorced woman as his consort. Moreover, there were underlying concerns about Edward’s suitability for the throne, which led to his eventual abdication in December 1936.
In his famous speech, Edward (now to be known as the Duke of Windsor) declared:
‘I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.‘
Wallis and Edward would marry France in 1937 but despite marrying a former king, Wallis was denied the title HRH (Her Royal Highness). This did not stop Edward from buying her jewels fit for a Queen.
Edward was no stranger to Cartier, having been a patron of the Parisian jeweller for many years. A famous cartoon of the time called him “Le Prince Charmant de la Rue de la Paix” (The prince charming of the Rue de la Paix – Cartier’s headquarters).
He had used Cartier for a number of years, preferring them to the more traditional jewellers used by the British royal family – some believed to hide his numerous affairs’ more easily.
The Great Cat jewels (know as Panthère) that would be become Cartier’s trademark were inspired by Jeanne Toussaint, the ground breaking female jeweller who began working for the firm in in 1913. There are several legends surrounding the origins of the Panthere. Some say Toussaint got her nickname by wearing a full length panther coat, others that it was Louis Cartier’s who nicknamed her ‘La Pantherè’ when she became his mistress.
Jeanne would go on to oversee the whole Panthère range, collaborating with the firm’s designers, most notably Peter Lemarchand, who was responsible for Wallis’ famous Flamingo Brooch.
Lemarchand would visit the zoo at Vincennes to draw the big cats in the enclosures from real life, studying their distinctive feline movement and physical structure.
While the Duke and Duchess of Windsor lived in exile in Paris, Cartier would become their unofficial Court Jewellers. Having already had Wallis’ engagement ring made by the jewellers, he returned to Cartier after the Ednam Lodge robbery of 1946 to rebuild Wallis’ collection, using his insurance money from Lloyds of London. Edward claimed the Cats were to guard her new collection.
In total, Cartier would create nine Great Cat pieces for Wallis over the years.
The first Panther to join the Windsor’s menagerie was made in the Cartier workshops was created for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1948. It depicted a gold panther decorated with black enamel spots outstretched on a cabochon emerald, weighing 116.74 carats, which was from the Duke’s own collection of stones, (Lot 55 from 2nd April 1987 auction at Sotheby’s).
In 1949, Wallis commissioned a pair of matching Panthère earrings to compliment this brooch. These earrings would eventually be inherited by Princess Michael of Kent, one of the only members of the British Royal Family to have been close to the Duchess
The second jewel the Duke purchased for his wife was a Panthère brooch featuring an enormous Kashmir cabochon sapphire weighing 152.35 cts in 1949.
Sapphires were a favourite gemstone of the Duchess as she felt they brought out her eyes.
However, the most important Panthère in Wallis’ collection is the onyx and diamond bracelet she purchased in December 1952.
This Panthère was designed to be highly articulated (movable) with joints set into the piece more frequently than had been done previously. This gave the piece an almost life-like quality, as the famous jewellery author Suzy Menkes artfully described it as:
The jungle cat is stirring on its black velvet tray, as Wallis tilts the head and the sloe-shaped emerald eyes glitter. Now the articulated body is springing to life. The onyx and diamond encrusted pelt laps the Duchess’ skinny wrist; slender haunches and outstretched paws reflect myriad points of light; the stripey tail swishes and snaps shut.
Suzy Menkes – Windsor Style.
When it resurfaced at auction in 2010, the auction house Sotheby’s catalogue detailed the technical features of the piece as:
The articulated body designed to encircle the wrist and to assume a stalking attitude, pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx, the eyes each set with a marquise-shaped emerald, wearing length approximately 165mm, total length approximately 195mm, signed Cartier, Paris and numbered, French assay and maker’s marks; the bracelet divides in two places, under the head and in the centre of the back, the tongue-piece of the latter inscribed, Cartier, Paris; the clasp numbered, several small stones deficient.
The collection of cats would continue to grow with an unusual pair of lorgnettes (glasses), the handle designed as a tiger with a raised paw, which was purchased in 1954.
A pair of Cartier tiger jewels set with onyx and fancy yellow diamonds in the form of a bracelet was acquired in 1956 and the matching clip in 1959.
The last two Panthere’s in the Duchess’ collection were two more Panthère brooches, purchased in the 1960s
After the Duke of Windsor’s death in 1972, Wallis was dining with the designer Hardy Aimes & Lady Pamela Berry. They asked the Duchess if she would consider contributing tho the V&A. ‘I guess I could spare a leopard’ she responded in her typical dry wit but her collection of original Panthère jewellery not only had historical significant but also an enormous monetary value.
Like her Engagement Ring and her many other bejewelled possesions, the Great Cats were sold at auction at Sotheby’s after the Duchess’ death in 1987. The proceeds from the sale were donated to Pasteur Institute in Paris.
The Panthère bracelet would reappear at Sotheby’s in 2010 and is now believed to be owned by the Sheika Moza of Qatar .