The Royal Way With Fashion, Jewels

“The Royal Jewels” (Contemporary Books: $29.95) by Suzy Menkes may at first appear to be one of those respectfully dreary coffee-table tomes designed to delight the eye and dull the mind. But for most readers the opposite may prove true. The book’s relentless photographs of diamond diadems, fringe tiaras, pearl sautoirs (chains) and even “mourning jewelry” (typically in black) may be of interest chiefly to gem enthusiasts. The text, however, will fascinate anyone who enjoys well-told stories juiced with impertinent details.

Menkes is fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune and author of “The Windsor Style” (on the private lives of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor). She has painstakingly researched the occasionally unsavory tales of how England’s royal family acquired its “multibillion-dollar treasury” of the finest jewels.

Consider, for instance, Menkes’ account of how the Duchess of Windsor lost between 20,000 and 25,000 worth of jewels during a 1946 visit to Sunningdale, England. It is believed a thief broke into the home where the duke and duchess were staying. None of the jewels were seen again and an insurance firm reimbursed the duke and duchess for the loss.

But, according to Menkes, rumors persist that the crime was engineered by the royal family to “snatch back” important jewels the family believed rightfully belonged to them. Menkes includes lyrics from a Bahamas calypso song about the duchess: “Mrs. Simpson, she’s no fool; she make her aim the big crown jewel.”

By contrast, a related coffee-table book, “Debrett’s Illustrated Fashion Guide: The Princess of Wales” (Webb & Bower: $24.95) is as courteous as “The Royal Jewels” is cheeky. Its authors are Jayne and Terry Fincher, award-winning photographers, and it consists of photos of Princess Diana since she began her relationship with Prince Charles. Fashion buffs are likely to adore the book’s 168 pages of color photographs. But the text is skimpy and weak, providing little information that hasn’t already been previously and widely reported.