Story of the jewels of Nancy Leeds, Princess Anastasia of Greece-Denmark.
A Cartier diamond bandeau, a diamond chain - sautoir over 200ct with an pear shaped diamond of 45ct. and a double bow stomacher.
Then the 56th George I of Greece and married Mrs Nancy Leeds realized a grand total of Fr 3,470,000 , largest cut diamond in the world , it ... Ilowever , at the for $ 2 million to the New York dealer Henry to Cartier's was the marriage crown of ....
Born Anastasia May Stewart, also known as Nancy Stewart, on 20 January 1883, the future Princess Anastasia of Greece was the daughter of William Charles Stewart and Mary Holden Stewart of Cleveland, Ohio. Twice married, before, Anastasia’s engagement in 1914 to Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, brother of Constantine I of Greece, created legal complications that delayed their marriage by six years.
Her first marriage to George H. Worthington lasted barely four years before she was married to her second husband William Bateman Leeds, a tin millionaire.
It was only three days after the Leeds divorce was granted that Mrs. Worthington became the second Mrs. Leeds. As a wedding present Mr. Leeds gave his new bride Jewelry valued at more than a million dollars, a mansion on Fifth avenue estimated to be worth $2,000,000, and an ocean-going steam yacht. It was on one of their visits to Paris that Leeds bought Mrs. Leeds No. 2 a $340,000 pearl necklace. About that time a son was born to the happy pair—the present W. B. Leeds, Jr. This youth gained the title “poor richest boy” because of the great care his mother and father provided and the fortune spent on guarding bis footsteps. A Royal Bringing-Up. When this child was two and onehalf years old he went with his father and mother to London. And here, in part, is a cabled newspaper dispatch of how the once humble florist and railroad worker provided for his heir by second marriage: “Not even an heir to royalty could have more elaborate care nor more luxurious service than this little American is now receiving. It is the wonder of the whole hotel (the exclusive Claridge). “Two nurses are in constant attendance and a maid, valet, and extra servants are devoted to chasing away dull care.” Death of Mr. Leeds. It was June 23. 190 S, in France, that the “tin plate king” died. The will was filed »t Mlneola, L. 1., September 3. 1908.
Stripped of legal phraseology, here is the paragraph that gives to royalty of Greece (by marriage) the bulk of the “tin plate" millions: “If the son, William B. Leeds. Jr., or issue of his shall survive the widow (Mrs. Leeds No. 2. now Princess Anastasia) three-fourths of the residuary estate is to be set aside for William B. Leeds, Jr., or his issue.” In other words, if Princess Anastasia dies, her husband. Prince Christopher. brother of King Constantine, gets about $10,000,000, and young Leeds about $30,000,000. Then when young Leeds dies, his royal widow or their children, if any, will get the $30,000,000 or more of good American money.
After the death of Mr. Leeds and in the years before his widow was captured by the Greeks, she broke into European society rigid and left—real royalty’s private grounds—bemuse of the Leeds’ millions at her command. Many a dented title sought her hand in marriage. Her marriage to Prince Christopher occurred at Geneva on January 33. 1920, and made her a cousin of most of the royalty of Europe and gave her such exalted rank as had not been held by an American woman in many years. That’s how
she got the title “the Dollar Princess.” Bringing Up Golden Child. While Mrs. Leeds was carrying on her conquest of royalty at their home towns, young Leeds was being kept under the care of a small crew of servants, instructors, and others afforded only by mean millions. Here is an account of how the youth “grew up”: “Young Leeds had every imaginable safeguard placed about him to prevent his being kidnaped and to shield him from other harm. His mother installed him in her former home in Montclair, N. J. When he stepped from the carriage or automobile each morning at the Montclair academy, he seemed to breathe freely. For most of the time he attended school there his mother was in Europe and he lived ‘alone’ with the servants to minister to his wants and detectives to protect him—but all to keep him from enjoying the pleasures of other boys of his age.” His mother, while abroad, got daily cabled reports on his health. Then, later, she took him to England to complete his education, giving as the excuse that “he might not become dissipated like so many rich American boys." Recently in America. Young Leeds, around whom the Leeds millions really center, was in this country only a few weeks ago. He arrived in Los Angeles late in February on his return from an adventurous trip into the wilds of the Sumatra jungles, where he hunted tigers. He had been bitten in the arm by a poisonous insect. He went to a sanitarium in Shanghai, but did not recover wholly from the infection and hurried to this country to undergo an operation in New York. While he was crossing the continent his mother, believed to be dangerously ill, was preparing for an operation in Athens for an intestinal trouble. He went to the Ritz-Carlton, intending to arrange for his own surgical treatment, but news of his mother’s condition led him to abandon that project and sail for Europe.
After his death in 1908, Anastasia inherited his sizeable fortune which in turn she used to help the Greek Royal Family during their exile in the 1920s.
On marrying her third husband on 1 January 1920 in Vevey, Switzerland, above in the picture - Anastasia became daughter-in-law to George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinova Romanov, Queen of Greece and Grand Duchess of Russia, thus re-affirming her status as one of the most wealthy and powerful women of her day.
While no children were borne from her third and final marriage, Princess Anastasia and Prince Christopher had a son from her previous marriage, William Bateman Leeds Jr, who was married a year after his mother to Kseniya Georgiievna Romanov, Princess of Russia.
Source:
Sothebys;
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