A one-of-a-kind piece of British history with royal, theatrical, and cinematic ties has returned to Hancocks London after an illustrious journey spanning decades. Commissioned from Hancocks in the 1870s by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), the necklace was famously worn by actress Lillie Langtry on stage in London’s West End—and more than a century later by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.
Now, coinciding with the London run of the new Devil Wears Prada stage musical, Hancocks has put the necklace—featuring a staggered fringe of pendants in carnelian, moonstone, coral, and turquoise—on display at its Sackville Gallery on St. James’s Street.
“The Prince of Wales commissioned Hancocks to make this piece for his mistress at the time, Lillie Langtry, who was regarded as one of the most glamorous and beautiful society women of her era,” said Guy Burton, Hancocks London’s managing director, in a statement. “He was known to be deeply enamored with Ms. Langtry and is believed to have presented her with the necklace during their time together, marking it as a token of affection from a royal admirer.
“This is a magnificent Egyptian Revival necklace and a stunning example of 19th-century craftsmanship,” Burton continued. “For the Prince of Wales, it would have made perfect sense to commission this piece for Ms ,Langtry given she was appearing as Cleopatra in the West End.
“The necklace also reflected the renewed interest in Egyptology during the 19th century. The fascination with Egyptian motifs was sparked by Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt and revived by further excavations and the opening of the Suez Canal in the 1860s.”
In 2003, the necklace briefly returned to Hancocks London after being auctioned by a private seller whose grandmother had received it as a gift from Langtry herself. It subsequently traveled across the Atlantic and was introduced to a whole new audience when it appeared in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, worn by Meryl Streep in her iconic portrayal of fashion editor Miranda Priestly.
It eventually landed in the hands of an American collector, and Hancocks reacquired the necklace from him earlier this year. The jeweler has added the necklace to its historic archive, marking a fitting return for a piece that has captivated royal watchers and theater and movie fans for over 140 years.
(Photos courtesy of Hancocks London)
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