Duke of Windsor's Gifts to Duchess on Offer at Bonhams' Fine Jewelry Sale

[cinrit]

King Edward VIII's abdication of the throne to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson is possibly one of the most romantic love stories of the early 20th century, but — having nearly caused a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom — definitely the most controversial one in British monarchical history.

On September 17, two of the tokens of the Duke of Windsor's (the title he retained after abdication) affection for his Duchess will be on offer at Bonhams' Fine Jewelry sale in London, at its newly built headquarters on New Bond Street: a diamond and peridot frog (circa 1937) and a diamond brooch designed as the Prince of Wales' feathers.

According to Bonhams' notes on the historic pieces, the Duke had written to his lover during an enforced separation after the abdication and before their marriage: "I enclose an eanum frog for the thirty first to live in your bag with the fat Vienna frog. Please show the new eanum frog to HER as HE has seen it! ... God bless WE my beloved Wallis. Remember what the eanum frog says and that I love you more and more..."

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