The King's Loot

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‘The ancient jewels of the crown are heirloomes and shall descend to the next successor and are not devisable by testament.’ – Sir Edward Coke

Geneva, April 1987. The staid Swiss town is awash with limousines, journalists and minor European aristocracy. All the best hotels and restaurants are bursting at the seams. Caviar, truffles and foie gras are in short supply, while champagne is flooding the market at ridiculously high prices.

They are all focused on one place: Sotheby’s auction house, which is preparing to host the ‘auction of the century’ – that of the late Duchess of Windsor’s jewellery collection.

But where did this treasure trove come from? And was it ever really the Duchess’ at all?

Questions have circulated around the collection’s murky provenance since the moment Wallis Simpson stepped onto the scene; now The King’s Loot looks to find the answers. Drawing on eyewitness interviews, contemporary accounts and previously unpublished sources, Richard Wallace – who was there at that notorious Swiss auction – delves into the mystery surrounding this hoard.