The Princess of Wales has been labelled a “disappointment’ with regards to her approach to jewellery.
Former Vogue editor and fashion critic Suzy Menkes made the remarks during an interview on the newest episode of her podcast Creative Conversations.
Speaking to British Vogue’s jewellery editor Carol Woolton, the two discussed and analysed some of Kate Middleton’s recent style choices, explaining to listeners that as a senior member of the royal family, she would surely have access to some of the finest jewels in the country.
“The Princess of Wales is a bit of a disappointment about jewellery,” said Menkes. “She gives the impression that she only puts it on when she absolutely has to.”
The 79-year-old critic continued: “I imagine her looking beautiful in one of those gowns behind the scenes and then pulling a face as if to say, ‘Do I have to wear this?’
“She doesn’t give any sense of adoring jewellery and being pleased to put it on.”
Menkes went on to suggest that Queen Camilla seems far more interested in jewellery, stating: “[Kate] doesn’t seem to have Camilla’s joy at wearing jewellery.”
She went on: “We now have a new Queen, so presumably she has a first opportunity to look at the jewels.
“We can imagine that the next in line to the throne’s wife would be something that was very special, so will we see Catherine wearing jewellery that is more dramatic, that is more personal to her? I don’t know. I can’t help feeling with things of beauty, you either love it or you don’t.”
Later in the podcast, Menkes went on to discuss some of the controversy that the royal family’s jewellery collection has garnered over the years.
“It’s one of these strange secrets,” she said. “It’s not discussed, and I can see why because some of the pieces are dubious. They came from India.
“I won’t say they were stolen but they were perhaps given and taken by the British Royal Family. They weren’t stealing it but they were taking over a country at that time, and and taking jewels they thought were an attractive thing to take back to England with them.”
