Inside Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Madonna's love for Cartier ahead of new London display

Draped in glittering Cartier jewels from her third husband Mike Todd, siren once smouldered: “Husbands may not be forever, but diamonds last a lifetime.”

Her words were sadly prophetic, as Taylor and Todd were only married for a year before his tragic death in a plane crash. But, after being given so many opulent gems by the millionaire - including the famous Cartier set of ruby and diamond necklace, with matching earrings and bracelet - unsurprisingly, the eight-times married actress called the union the “happiest” time of her life.

Still as dazzling as the day when Todd presented them to her on holiday in France in 1957, with friends including Eddie Fisher - who became Taylor’s husband number four – priceless gems like these and the stories behind the beautiful women who wore them, are part of a landmark V&A display, starting on Saturday. It is the UK’s first major exhibition in almost 30 years dedicated to the French jeweller Cartier.

READ MORE:

The more husbands Liz acquired, the larger her collection of Cartier grew. Husband number five and six, Welsh actor Richard Burton splashed out a record-breaking $1,050,000 in 1969 for a 69.2 carat Cartier rock. The diamond had been flown from Gstaad so that Liz could inspect it, and then back on a plane to the US for the auction, where the Hamlet actor had originally set a $1m limit – but the bidding was fierce.

He later wrote: “Elizabeth was as sweet as only she could be and protested that it didn't matter, that she didn't mind if she didn't have it, that there was much more in life than baubles, that she would manage with what she had. But I was going to get that diamond if it cost me my life or $2m dollars, whichever was the greater. For 24 hours the agony persisted and in the end I got the bloody thing.”

After her second divorce from Burton in 1979, Liz flogged the diamond and is said to have used some of the funds to build a hospital in Africa. Speaking about her enviable trophy cabinet of gems, Liz said: “I've never thought of my jewellery as trophies. I'm here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty.”

Meanwhile, famously sang, in her inimitably breathy style: “Diamonds are a girl's best friend,” in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). But if your budget is more Argos than Cartier, you can still enjoy a taste of opulence at the Cartier exhibition, which will display more than 350 objects from the archives at the Victoria and Albert museum in south west London - including Grace Kelly’s engagement ring, from the Monaco Princely Palace Collection, that she wore in her final film High Society (1956).

“Never imitate, always innovate,” is the motto of the luxury jewellery house, coined by its founder, Parisian watchmaker Louis-Francois Cartier, when he took over his master’s workshop. In 1856 Princess Mathilde Bonaparte asked Louis-Francois to repair her necklace, before becoming a loyal customer – and rewarding him with Cartier’s first royal warrant.

But it was at the turn of the 20th century, when his three grandsons – brothers Louis, Pierre and Jacques – turned Cartier into a glittering empire. Then aged 18, 15, and 9, the lads gathered around a map and carefully divided it into three regions: Europe, the Americas, and Great Britain. Louis would be responsible for Europe, which included the original Cartier Paris store, Pierre would take Cartier across to the US, and the youngest, Jacques, would open a Cartier store in London.

Between them, this triumvirate of brothers transformed Cartier into an international jewellery powerhouse. “You see very early on this amazing future vision that the family had,” says V&A exhibition curator Helen Molesworth. “We’ve got 200 years of a company which has created objects that are ahead of their time, yet they’re timeless. They have never gone out of fashion.”

Before the jeweller became the luxury brand of choice for stars of the silver screen, Cartier was, as King Edward VII called it, “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers.” He awarded them his royal warrant. His son, the Duke of Windsor, couldn’t give his American divorceé Wallis Simpson the British crown – and instead bought her priceless Cartier Panthère jewels, a collection that was named after Louis’s lover-turned creative director Jeanne Toussaint, who was nicknamed the “Panther” for her habit of wearing animal furs and decorating her apartment with exotic skins.

After the Duchess of Windsor’s death in 1986, her extensive jewellery collection was auctioned off. Over the years, it is said to have been bought by high-profile collectors including Joan Collins and – and several pieces will be on display at the V&A’s exhibition. Edward’s brother, King George VI, was also a loyal client of Cartier, acquiring numerous pieces for his wife.

The Queen Mother also inherited several remarkable Cartier jewels from rich socialite Dame Margaret Helen Greville, including two pairs of Art Deco diamond earrings crafted by Cartier in 1938. The Greville Chandelier earrings, made of platinum and fancy-cut diamonds, were presented to Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift in 1947. And The Greville Peardrop earrings, featuring two 20-carat pear-shaped diamonds set in platinum and diamond, were passed down to the Queen in 2002.

However, the most famous piece of Cartier jewellery in Queen Elizabeth II’s collection was undoubtedly the Halo tiara, which King George VI purchased as a gift for the Queen Mother in 1936. Our late Queen then received it as an 18th birthday present - then lending the stunning tiara to Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, and, most recently, the , who wore it for her wedding to in 2011.

The jewellery brand continues to be a favourite among modern-day royals, with first wearing the Cartier Tank Louis Cartier watch in the 1980s. The timepiece was believed to have been a gift from her father, the 8th Earl Spencer. However, after her divorce in 1996, she began wearing the gold Cartier Tank Française, replacing the Patek Philippe watch she had received from Prince Charles.

Today, the Tank Française is worn by , after it was passed down to her husband, . According to Diana’s former butler , Prince William initially selected the Tank Française from his mother’s collection, while Harry chose her iconic sapphire engagement ring. But the brothers swapped items when William was preparing to propose to now the Princess of Wales, in 2010.

Other iconic pieces on display at the V&A include a spectacular 1938 diamond rose brooch that Princess Margaret Rose wore at her sister’s coronation: the Williamson Diamond brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 featuring the rare 23.6 carat pink Williamson diamond, and the Scroll Tiara commissioned in 1902 and worn to the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Still, many feel it was Diamonds singer who out-sparkled everyone when she was styled as warrior queen in the Scroll Tiara for the cover of W magazine in 2016. Cartier’s magic is endless … with the jeweller also becoming famous for its snake jewellery, particularly the 1968 diamond snake commissioned by Mexican actress María Félix – a fully articulated, life-sized replica of a snake, paved with 2,473 diamonds. And in 2022 model Naomi Campbell wound an updated emerald-and-diamond version of the jeweller’s snake necklace around her neck, set with 400 carats in emeralds, to a Cartier dinner party.

But Cartier hasn’t just been the preserve of rich, beautiful women. Cinema idol Gary Cooper was seen wearing a Cartier Trinity ring on his pinky in 1931, as did French film director Jean Cocteau in 1963. And these days Dune star Timothée Chalamet won’t be seen in anything less than Cartier - regularly outshining his Kardashian girlfriend on the red carpet. Invited to help design a one-off bespoke piece for his premiere, the 964 emeralds, rubellites, pink tourmalines and blue opal of the snake-like necklace he wore around his neck were set off perfectly by the pink velvet Tom Ford tux. Proving gems are also a boy’s best friend!

The Cartier exhibition at the V&A will run from April 12 – November 16, 2025.

READ MORE: