Cartier & America Exhibition in San Francsico

Okay, if you're a Northern Californian you've gotta go to the Legion of Honor to this exclusive one-time exhibition of Cartier creations for Americans.

Particularly the spectacular standout 3 pieces that were part of The Duchess of Windsor's collection: the Flamingo pin, the cabochon Sapphire Panther (my favorite of all of her jewelry pieces) and the bib thing-ie (above). These three pieces were part of the most famous and triumphant jewelry auction in history which was held in Geneva by Sotheby's in 1987. The sapphire diamond clip sold for $1,026,667. The ruby, sapphire, emerald, citrine and diamond Flamingo clip sold for $806,667 and the bib necklace sold for $605,000. That historic sale went on to raise a total of $50million. The Duchess of Windsor left her entire estate, valued at approximately $90million, to the Pasteur Institute in the second largest bequest in the Institute's history. All of which has been used to fund the Pasteur's research overthe last two decades which has included AIDS and other of our most pervasive diseases of our modern times.
The above is the famed Tutti-Frutti piece designed for Mrs. Daisy Fellowes. Other exciting pieces: Princess Grace's necklace and engagement ring on loan by Prince Albert II of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor's Cartier ruby and diamond necklace, and Marjorie Merriweather's Indian carved emerald brooch with one emerald dating from the Mughal era. GO see this exhibit.

The exhibition runs through May 9 (it was extended) so hurry. For more information, visit: cartier and america

I am President of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor Historical Society, Inc. If you're curious about the Windsors please check out the Society's website at www.ddows.org

All photos above are courtesy of the San Francisco Fine Art Museum, except the black & white photos of the Windsors and the Duchess of Windsor Jewelry auction catalogue. These are from the personal collection of Mark Gaulding.

The First Duke & Duchess of Windsor Society Conference.....

Is only a memory now for those who attended. But it is a wonderful memory. Here I am with the conference's featured speaker, Hugo Vickers.

Too bad the city of San Diego is so lame, though.

Duke and Duchess of Windsor

It's been a while since I last blogged.

I've been completely enmeshed in organizing the Duke & Duchess of Windsor Society First conference in San Diego at the Hotel del Coronado. The conference starts tomorrow, October 16 and runs through October 19.

The Duke & Duchess of Windsor Society is an international organization of individuals interested in recognizing and recording the historical significance of the lives of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor.

We're celebrating our twentieth birthday this year.

The conference features well-known British historian/biographer, Hugo Vickers, author of The Private Lives of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor and the upcoming new Duchess biography, Behind Close Doors.

I'm going to be posting blogs periodically from the conference in San Diego. So stay tuned over the next few days.

You can visit the Society's website at www.ddows.org (you can register to attend the conference at the same location).

In the meantime, check out the article about the conference which appears in today's edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

ME Want #1--GULFSTREAM 650 private jet--an object of my obsession

I' ve always wanted to have a private jet. I'd even just like to actually take a trip on a private jet. Now, I'm not talking about one of those weenie Learjet things. I'm talking about a JET.

My father was a private pilot and I grew up flying in private planes. The largest plane we had was a Queen Air which had a galley and small lavatory. It was quite fun! I suppose that it was those experiences which later attracted me to this current era of private jets.

The private jet I most want is a Gulfstream (I know friends out there may have different preferences). The newest Gulfstream will be the 650 so that is the one I want!

The Gulfstream appeal to me aesthetically, I guess.....more so than others. Gulfstreams are the jets that movie stars own (Tom Cruise, Schvarzenaaaaager, John Travolta). They are to me the most beautiful and elegant of the private jets. See:




























I love the Gulfstream's large oval windows. And as we'll see in the video below, the high ceilings.

This post is sort of a mini-documentary about the beauty and elegance of something I've never personally experienced: a private jet. I've yet to fly on one of these.....but we can still dream can't we:) And what a schweeeeeet dream this is. Come on with me through the various short videos and photos to follow and we'll enter a world of enchantment. Once you're finished you'll have a lovely fresh bright new day ahead!

So, first, check out this tall dude as he shows us inside my dream private jet, the upcoming Gulfstream 650:



Pretty damn plush, no?

Okay, so since I've never flown on one of these things (believe me a Queen Air is cute but it is not a JET), and since you've "prolly" (as daninokc says) never flown on one of these things let's take a trip to the world of private jets. This first video is fun....and with the champagne and cute dudes we'll get a little buzz on. This plane is a pretty decent Dussault jet (not a weenie one) I think. I especially love an Australian accent. This video indulges me on several levels....you'll see why):



Okay, so now that we've completely entered a sublime, who-cares-about-reality reality, at least for the moment, let's completely dream LARGE. Now here is a JET.



That was an Airbus Business Jet which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737 (Boeing also makes a 737 Business Jet). This is the way I'd love to live! Here's the Boeing 737 Business Jet and a real slice o' life look at a family flying on it. Couldn't they have a maid to run around after the children and pick up? And where is the Air Hostess? I realize that the screaming kids may ruin the serenity of our journey on private jets so I've disabled the sound so you can watch it peacefully:)



So who exactly can afford a jet like this? Well let's take a look at one example.......the pretty cute dude Russian Roman Abramovich. He's got a Boeing 767.

The thing about this fella is that he's in his early 40's, he's handsome and he's got billions. It wouldn't suck to be him, now would it? (I won't say anything else:)) He also has a lot of ME Wants :)

Here he is jumping off the back of his private Yacht (another toy that I have a yen for).



But, guess what?? This guy is into living LARGE. I mean LARGE. First of all, he is the owner of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's former home Chateau de la Croe in Cap D'Antibes (which would be my ultimate ME Want....well, that and Le Moulin de la Tuilerie).



He just ordered a new private jet and get this: it's the LARGE Airbus A380.


Here's what the inside of this beauty will look like....since I've completely suspended all sense of reality :)












This beautiful work of art of an aircraft cost that dude £300million. This thing has three-floors and an elevator that takes you down to the landing tarmac. Absolutely ingenious, if you ask my opinion. That little airplane engineer was inspired.

Now this would be a great place to wake up in the morning, no?

I think its time for us to start our descent back into the real world. We'll make our landing with this fun video of a trip to Monaco on a sort of weenie Cessna Citation (methinks?). Cute dudes again and more champagne...that should make for a less bumpy landing at the end of this blog post.



I don't know that I'll ever own a private jet but it sure is fun thinking about it. I'm not sure that I'll ever even have an opportunity to fly on a private jet but hell I'd do it as an "Air Hostess" if that was my only option!

Welcome to your final destination, back to your life. I hope after our lovely journey through the perfect world of private jets that you'll have a very peaceful, soothing and beautiful day!