The Uncrowned Jewels - 1987 BBC News Documentary

I directed and produced this BBC Documentary about the sale of the Duchess of Windsor's lavish collection of jewels. The main programme was broadcast on BBC1 on 30 March 1987. There is a ten minute follow up programme with coverage of the sale that was broadcast on BBC2 three days later

[@di3393]

If I had money Id buy that panther bracelet

[@freshbeanne]

Madonna has it!

[@WOLFROY47]

his marriage to simpson wasn't the only reason the government wanted him to abdicate

[@mukunimulundika5359]

What an elegant collection of jewels.... Class

[@robertstevenson364]

A question remains, How did that woman cast her spell?

[@micheleedwin4004]

How much did the British Taxpayer have to pay for these baubles?

[@wengfong6742]

Well, now it’s know that she didn’t want him after he abdicated but now is stuck with him cos she can’t dump the man who gave up the thrown for her

[@modfus]

Gosh those Panther jewels are magnificent.

[@bduhe219]

what strikes me most is the sheer sentimentality they shared. from the crosses on the bracelet, to the jewelry gifts' all to commemorate special events, and the little pug dog pillows to represent their pets sitting on their couch in the bedroom. very romantic.

[@krisushi1]

Would she be so enamored with him if he hadn't of covered her with jewels, been of royal lineage or gave her the luxurious lifestyle she demanded?

[@carolbell8008]

Wallis and the duke spent lavishly. Beautiful jewelry, lovely inscriptions.Fantastic colors ! The charm bracelet may be the simplest yet most historical.

[@PurplePinkRed]

Amazing job, Martyn Gregory! Thank you for sharing this with us 😊

[@YSLaddicted21]

Marchesa Luisa di Casati was the inspiration behind the Cartier Panthere collection

[@donnieloftus9124]

Thank you so much for sharing this documentary.

[@powerliftingcentaur]

This is a wonderful documentary. Thank you. It was so good to see these jewels again. The Duke and Duchess had exquisite taste.

[@maggyfrog]

i am fascinated and appalled at the same time

[@grammgale58]

I will take the emeralds, please! That is my birthstone. So very sad, really. No children other than the relatives to leave it to. They were castaways at best. Not until his death could he be buried properly and she was allowed back to pick up some of his things. In the end, it was all business.

[@syedmaricar9946]

Amazing auction.

[@seahamm]

Thanks for posting , wonderful story

[@radio419travel7]

fabulous - this answers so many questions yet ironically begs so many answers too - well done Sir Martyn

[@astardustparade]

I would love to own the cats! 😍 🐈

[@Katy-jl1jc]

A wonderful presentation of the most endearing love affair of the twentieth century, with the very finest work done anywhere throughout the world - none other than BBC, of course...

[@mirelairinapetre6503]

Make your life to be the most expensive,beautiful jewelery ! Make your life shine so strong, that not even bilions of diamonds could shine stronger!

[@RobynHoopergarner]

Thank you for these documentaries ,I Appreciate interesting programmes,

[@carolbell8008]

Were the jewels that were stolen ever found? Absolutely fabulous works of art, those canary yellow diamond earrings!!

[@jaybarrows2526]

Carol Bell I want to know too.

[@Vintagefashionstudio]

Just beautiful Jewellery.

[@mariettawilson5954]

So he spent money on her that belonged to England

[@minniebell9664]

Can't hear the commentary!

[@jairenesereno4519]

Man he was definitely whipped.

[@valkyriesardo278]

I can't consider collaborative self indulgence romantic.

[@carolinecollett956]

‘ Represent a life time of love ‘ ...

[@kathybrisky]

I guess love must be blind.I always found her quite homely.

[@druboy7201]

what i wouldn't give for a man to buy me these jewels.

[@roykrips3935]

wonderful

[@julieparsons3216]

id settle for the yellow diamond earings and ring, follwed by the emerald ring

[@hhwe9785]

So very nice to observe the former jewelry & other possessions of my grandmother & grandfather!

[@janetruggles6926]

Great video, but the sound is vary bad. Have my sound up as high as it will go, and still having trouble hearing it.

[@meeruddin4139]

The Uncrowned Jewels - 1987 BBC News Documentary.

[@Patrick3183]

I don't resent them for their privilege - there will always be rich people

[@786H20]

It's makes me smile... X

[@blackmumba111]

The lady at like 3:50 or 4:00 is in the Queen's Jewels documentary, as well.

[@elizabethwhiteoak5291]

"But now only the story of their love remains" ...

[@juliekailihiwa8150]

This is so well done. I really enjoyed your approach to storytelling of W&E and research. Do you have any more docus or tv or films that we should see? And what did you think of Madonna's version of W/E ?

[@hazelwood-wi9sk]

Excellent programme. Pity the commentary is difficult to hear.

[@Drewbygus]

OMG, I died laughing at the mesh Madonna style gloves the old American woman was wearing!

[@kemptonjones]

Imagine that . . . 400000 GBP = 738807.10275 CAD (GBP To CAD Exchange Rates). Exchange Rates Updated: 24/Apr/15 20:09 UTC

[@user-eu2bd6et7d]

Спасибо большое за видео Мартина Грегори о драгоценностях некоронованных особ.но судя по подаркам герцога Эдварда.отказавшегося от королевской короны ради любимой женщины.можно смело сказать.что драгоценности.дарившиеся герцогине уоллис Симпсон.ничуть не уступают королевским.многих такие превосходные изделия приводили и приводят в восторг по сей день.вот вам образец самоотверженной и возвышенной любви.коронованные особы не могут с таким отношением к женщине сравниться.они вряд ли откажутся от преимуществ своего ранга.Спасибо за фильм.

[@josephrocha142]

Sorry to say the jewelery outshines her. Someone like Elizabeth Taylor outshines the jewels IMO. Just an observation.

[@stargo2931]

"Contract" doesn't sound very romantic to me.

[@melindabendle6459]

Beutifal to View..Thank You .😇🌹

[@WubiWatkins]

I can't help but think that this is the type person we would want in an office loving, compassionate, mindful of those around them. Instead we ended up with an ice queen

[@iam1ina1000000]

He sold Sandringham castle for 1 million pounds in 1936, which would be 20 million American dollars today (tax free of course, as the royal family never paid tax.)

[@karljoseph4766]

These are beautiful jewelry they are part of the British history in a certain way and time in history these jewelry should stay and bought by the royal family every pieces represent a love story there are not for the common people or the new rich to own them they are lost now good video to watch 👌👌👌

[@stelamo]

nice post ... :)

[@stelamo]

***** And have a nice day too you as well :)

[@greekre]

did lucky santangelo buy the cat set?

[@fridaber6069]

What piece is playing at 1:00?

[@nikkil764]

Both quite dreadful people but lovely jewels. Shame they did so much damage to the royal family but he would have been an awful king. Better to have stepped down for someone more suitable.

[@nellspencer6417]

Sickening. Europe torn apart by war and strife and this selfish self-centred couple can think of nothing more than royal titles, languishing and squandering vast amounts of wealth.

[@Maggie22002]

We now know Wallis didn't love him. She just wanted to accumulate jewels & when Edward became King, she was ready to leave. Instead she Got trapped by her own scheme.

[@esclarmondemassenet3208]

Compared to those owned by Her Majesty The Queen, these are very unimportant. Intersesting that all the jewels are new unlike the fabulous jewels owned by the royal family.

[@peterbradshaw8018]

The history and budget of the house of Hanover/ Saxe-Coburg and Gotha far outstrip anything Edward had at his disposal. Remember that the Romanov collection or parts of it were bought for a song by the Windsors.

[@donglabong]

"unimportant"?????? these jewels epitomize the very top end choices from the finest Jewellery Houses of the 20th Century, responding to and representing fashion and style in a way the Royal collection never has or could. It is and will always remain the finest private collection of jewels ever sold at auction Sir!

[@donglabong]

applause!

[@samplerstitcher]

+Esclarmonde Massenet That emerald in the engagement ring is anything but unimportant... :)

[@RoseSharon7777]

After the 3rd 1/2 million piece, they become blase'. No wonder they died broke and miserable.

[@springday5679]

Can someone tell me the name of the song at 1:00.

[@Actionfiguresarefun]

What is the song that is play around 30mins in.?

[@bozenajencek4548]

kisses hugs

[@meeruddin4139]

Meer Uddin.

[@steelman86]

Too bad the photographer didn’t show the jewels first and THEN all of those EXTREMELY close ups of the jewels SPINNING rather than having the viewer guess which piece was being showcased! 👎👎👎

[@brucehiatt4333]

Adultery is expensive.

[@Onry1]

The dark headed lady playing with the jeweler was a lil freaky...

[@eileenspink4394]

wallis and Edward were not how they seemed its sade that people that had them at partys had to pay them to come and she was not a nice person to him some tomes he cryed waiting for her to come down to dinner and there is a book that is out that tells the story about gay people in Hollywood and in that book tells about about wallis & Edward and they where not nice to his brother and the queen mom

[@Analiffey1916]

Well Wallis, you had lots of jewels, but not the man you loved! Was it worth it?! Personally I think with the exception of the panthers 🐆 and crosses bracelet, all the others were gaudy and brash, I hope they kept her warm!!!

[@vheilshorn]

I don't care who owned them or what they sold for. That chit makes drag queens look demure.

[@lizsteeds6697]

The sheer vacuity and self-indulgence of Wallis and dear dim David is horrifying. What a shallow, craven lifestyle ... and her pining for her HRH style ... cringe-worthy and so-ooo me me me ... yuk.

[@MeMyIdea]

Compared to Charles & Camilla and Harry & Meghan​ in 2020, Edward & Wallis are the angels and innocents !

[@Marlon-sw4nw]

haha Suzy Menkes with her poorly painted nails

[@Katwoman4318]

“All you need is Love”-The Beatles. Exile? Sounds so rebellious. Prince Edward was in Love ♥️. Maybe Duke William will do the same & give it all to Duke Harry? 💜♥️💜♥️💜♥️💜♥️.

[@olderhippiechick]

This will be Meghan Markle in a couple years after divorcing Harry. Hahaha

[@mjlesq]

Hats off to Donglabong's comment to Esclarmonde Massenet comment very unimportant. The Crown Jewels are tacky. The Duchess of Windsor's jewels are the epitome of chic.

[@briansmith9439]

mjl esquire Not only are they chic but they have, through their auction, been put to use for such a humanitarian cause they will always put the Royal collection to shame.

[@dafinker3443]

Such beauty to adorn such ugliness !!!!!! Totally inexplicable . Such a mountainous lack of confidence and unfathomable devotion to a hag with whom he spent a useless and sad existence. Will blind HARRY do the same Oh Dear

[@1brickrow]

Suzy Menkes remarks are racist calling the th Japanese man oriental and ascribing his demeanor as stereotypical Japanese.

[@lauravonutassy1919]

Maggy frog. Why are you appalled? Their money, their choice. Their choice, and no one else's business. The west was not turning to socialism and communism back then. People were free to spend their money without criticism and judgement!!

[@annettejacobsen6035]

Wow i cant even emagin to see so many beautiful gems. 💎🦩