The Duchess of Windsor's Cartier Bracelet: Ten Years of Romance Engraved on Gem-Set Crosses

The Duchess of Windsor's Cartier Cross Bracelet. Photo source: Pinterest. by Angela Magnotti Andrews The gossip mills in the US and England began pumping furiously in 1936, when the international press published photos of Mrs. Wallis Simpson aboard the Nahlin wearing a Cartier bracelet with several gem-set Latin crosses. Curiously, these glittering charms bore strong resemblance to two crosses the King wore on a chain around his neck on board the same cruise ship. Mrs. Simpson and Prince Edward, called David by his family and close friends, met in 1931. Lady Thelma Thurman, then mistress to the Prince, was a frequent guest at Mrs. Simpson's outrageously splendid cocktail parties. Her whim to introduce the Prince to her irreverent and independent friend, 'Wally', led to the scandal that rocked a nation and to what some deem the greatest love story of the 20th century. Three years and countless Court invitations later, the Prince found himself utterly smitten with the American socialite. They embarked upon an illicit affair in 1934, the milestone events of which were memorialized by the elaborate jewels they had made for one another. Probably the most significant of these historic jewels are the eleven (possibly twelve) gem-set Cartier Latin crosses which have engraved upon them ten years of romance.

WE Are Too

The first one was given to Mrs. Simpson in November, 1934. Inscribed 'WE are too (sic) 25-XI-34', this is actually the only cross which is not set with gemstones. Made entirely of platinum, the cross's message alludes to the passionate feelings which had blossomed between the two of them. The date is rather significant, being that four days later, on November 29, 1934, Prince Edward's brother, George, would marry Princess Marina of Greece, at Westminster Abbey. The gift declared, "WE (Wallis + Edward) are also in love, and though we can't now tell the world, WE can make a declaration to each other."

The Prince's 41st Birthday

The next two crosses are both dated June 23, 1935. One, which reads simply, 'Wallis--David 23-6-35', is set with calibre-cut sapphires and was added next to the platinum cross on her Cartier bracelet. The other, which was sold at Sotheby's in 1987 as part of a necklace bearing three cross pendants, is set with rubies and bears the inscription 'David--Wallis 23-6-35'. The two crosses, exchanged between the lovers, commemorate the Prince's 41st birthday.

St. Wolfgang

In September 1935, Prince Edward gave Wallis her own ruby-set cross. The jewel, inscribed 'Wallis--David St. Wolfgang 22-9-35', also has a twin worn around the Prince's neck. His cross was set with sapphires and read "22-9-35 David--Wallis St. Wolfgang'. Leaving from Cannes that fall, the Prince, Mrs. Simpson, and several other friends took a two-month international holiday, stopping in Paris, Windsor, Budapest, Vienna, and back to Paris. Along the route, the group stopped over in St. Wolfgang, a small town near Salzburg. Though the true significance of the stopover is known only to the two lovers, historian Michael Bloch wrote that when the Prince returned home, "the idea of marriage to had become a fixed and passionate desire" {cited}.

A Second Coming Out Party

That entire year was, in its own way, a second coming out party for Mrs. Wallis Simpson. Her parties were legendary, with food so decadent that UK Vogue suggested that "intelligent" attendees ought to fast before attending {cited}. Her passionate love of haute couture and her ingenious style sparked trends in the fashion industry, including a color named just for her: 'Wallis Blue'. In 1935, she appeared in the pages of Vogue in both America and the UK, and Cecil Beaton wrote of her, "As a topic she has become a mania" {cited}. Whether it was her sensational parties, her striking poise and absolute confidence, her signature wit, or her passionate and illicit romance with the Prince of Wales, Wallis Simpson was the most talked about woman between 1935 and 1937. In 1936, Time Magazine named her Woman of the Year, and British Vogue declared her The Best Dressed Woman in town. And her devoted lover, Prince Edward, crowned King in January, 1936, continued to shower her with countless inscribed jewels to ornament her stately countenance and remind her of his absolute devotion to her.

The Kings Cross

On March 1, 1936, just six weeks after the Prince of Wales was crowned King of England, Wallis set off for Paris with a friend for a little respite. By this time in their relationship, the King had become dependent upon the witty companionship of the American socialite.  Her departure at such a critical time in his appointment as King distressed him. According to her, the respite was not much of one as "the little king" called her four times a day while she was away {cited}. It's easy to surmise that the couple might have exchanged more than a few cross words. The pressure from the Royal Family and the press to cool their relationship must have increased exponentially as King Edward became more entrenched in his duties as King. As a peace offering, the King commissioned Cartier to fashion another cross. This one, set entirely with baguette diamonds, was inscribed with what can only be another witty pun: 'The Kings (sic) Cross God Bless WE 1-3-36'.

A Private Agreement

Incidentally, it was reported that during this separation King Edward struck a private agreement with Wallis's husband, Ernest Simpson. During this private meeting, the King vowed "to remain faithful to her and look after her" {cited}. With a handshake and likely a wilted expression, Mr. Simpson agreed to release Wallis from their marriage. In the months leading up to the Nahlin cruise, the British press and the Royal Family created a powerful resistance to the two lovers. During this tumultuous time, it is no surprise that Wallis, who not only endured the hatred from the British but also was clearly torn between two men*, experienced a significant degeneration in her health.

X-Ray Cross

To commemorate July 10, 1936, the day she had herself "X-rayed from head to toes" {cited}, the King gave her a cross set with calibré-cut emeralds bearing the inscription, 'X Ray Cross Wallis--David 10-7-36'. Her doctor discovered a healed ulcer scar and placed her on a special diet. Six weeks later, she wrote to her Aunt Bessie, "I have gained some weight also, and feel better than I have in ages" {cited}.

God Save the King

Not a week later, King Edward was threatened at gunpoint during a procession on Constitution Hill. In relief, he gave Wallis another cross, this one set with calibré-cut aquamarines, which reads, 'God Save the King for Wallis 16-VII-36'. One month later, photos of Wallis and the King alone together played across leading newspapers in Britain and America (where the story of their affair first broke). Events moved swiftly after they returned from the cruise. In October, Wallis Simpson received a certificate of divorce, though the press was delayed in publicizing the news which finally aired in December of 1936. The King's abdication that same month was met with public outrage, all of which seemed directed at the American divorcee. Not only did she receive hate mail and death threats, but a wax likeness of a "Scarlet Simpson" played center stage at Madame Tussaud's waxworks, dressed in a crimson House of Worth gown {cited}. Fleeing the fallout, Wallis headed to Cannes. By the following spring, the former King had been retitled as the Duke of Windsor, and Wallis Warfield was now free to accept the Duke's proposal of marriage, as well as the very large emerald engagement ring.

Our Marriage Cross

On June 3, 1937, the happy couple celebrated their nuptials during a private ceremony at the Chateau de Candé Monts (Indre et Loire) in France. "Here I shall say only that it was a supremely happy moment," the Duchess would later write. "All I had been through, the hurts I had suffered were forgotten; by evening, David and I were on our way to Austria" {cited}. Cecil Beaton memorialized that day with his stunning photos of the new Duchess wearing a Mainbocher crepe dress in a soft gray-blue, which would be known from then on as 'Wallis Blue'. On her wrist, one can see the Cartier bracelet, now outfitted with seven crosses, the most recent added that morning. Featuring calibré-cut sapphires and emeralds, with one ruby and one baguette diamond, the cross bears the inscription: 'Our Marriage Cross Wallis 3-VI-37 David'.

The Final Two Crosses

It would be five years before the final two crosses would complete Wallis Simpson's Cartier bracelet. In 1944, ailing for months, Wallis was admitted to Roosevelt Hospital in New York. On August 31, she underwent an appendectomy and reportedly suffered some complications. The Duke gave his wife a cross set with amethysts which read, 'Appendectomy Cross Wallis 31-VIII-44 David'. Another cross followed the next month. This one, set with yellow sapphires, reads, 'Get Well Cross Sept 1944'. So close together, yet so many long weeks of suffering in between, you can almost feel his anxiety for her recovery. She did go on to recover, and the two continued professing their love and devotion to one another in jewelry for another 28 years, until the Prince's death in 1972. However, the book was closed on the Cartier bracelet, as this chapter of their story came to a close, ten years after the first cross was made.

*According to Vougepedia, in a letter to her Aunt Bessie Merryman, Wallis wrote of her dilemma: "It requires great tact to manage both men. I shall try to keep them both."

Bibliography

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