“When she was married to then Prince Charles—now King Charles—when she would wear jewelry, or attend some occasion requiring jewelry, it was on loan to her for the occasion by her mother-in-law, the queen,” Ettinger recounts. “So, when she needed something impressive-looking, it was a loan.”
After divorcing out of the family and starting to establish her independent image, it followed that Diana would require some pieces of her own for public events. “She had designed a magnificent necklace and matching earrings utilizing hundreds of diamonds plus South Sea pearls that were her favorites,” Ettinger says. “Diana retained the title Patron of Dance, so the ballet was a very important function for her, and it was said that she was photographed more often that night wearing this necklace than on any other occasion of her life, except for her wedding day.”
The auction house sold the gems to American businessman James McIngvale. After years of ownership, Guernsey’s was summoned once again to manage the private sale of the Swan Lake Suite from McIngvale to their current owners. Now, approximately 14 years later, Guernsey’s will continue their stewardship of the suite with another auction.
Ettinger says it’s been humbling to direct Diana’s design through several iterations of owners throughout the years. To him, the suite represents a time in her life where she boldly forged her own path in the wake of highly publicized family struggles.
“When she divorces out of the family, unlike many people who I suspect would have said, ‘Ok, I’ve had my moment in the sun, I’m going to live the rest of my life attending tea parties and living in the shadows,’ she became a woman of her own,” he says. “She became strong and admired around the world, and I can assure you that, at the time of her death, there was no person more beloved and respected than Diana.”