The Wallis Simpson jewelery robbery was one of the largest and most expensive as £17 million was lost.
He theft of the jewelry of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsoris one of the most enigmatic and resonant cases of high society of the 20th century. It happened in 1946, when a thief managed to steal part of her jewelry collection, considered one of the most dazzling and exclusive of the time.
Wallis was known not only for her style and elegance, but also for her impressive jewelry collection. Many of these pieces had been designed by the most important luxury houses in the world, such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, and some contained personalized messages which evidenced Eduardo’s devotion to Wallis.
In November 1946, The couple was at their residence in the Bois de Boulogne, Pariswhen the robbery occurred. The jewelry was kept in a safe deposit box inside the house, but it is believed that someone managed to access the place and take a significant amount of these valuable pieces.
wallis
What was the robbery of Wallis Simpson’s jewels like?
The news of the theft generated a global scandal. lInitial investigations failed to clarify how the thief had circumvented the security of the residence.. It was speculated that the crime may have been an inside job, as no signs of forced entry were found. Both service staff and close contacts of the couple came under scrutiny.
Furthermore, it was suggested that the robbery could have been a symbolic attack, as the Windsors were a controversial couple, criticized both for their relationships with political figures of the time and for their extravagant lifestyle.
Although some of the stolen pieces were never recovered, others appeared some time later under mysterious circumstances. In 1947, certain of the Duchess’s jewels were returned anonymously in a package sent to an address in London. The identity of the thief was never officially confirmed.
Why they suspect the Duchess of Windsor was involved
The possibility that Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was involved in the theft of her own jewels was the subject of speculation for decades. Although conclusive evidence was never presented to corroborate this.
No signs of forced entry foundleading investigators to suspect that the thief had direct access to the safe deposit box or had received privileged information on how to access the jewelry.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
