Princess Diana’s Iconic Necklace Up for Auction, But Meghan Markle is Banned from Participating

Princess Diana's renowned necklace, currently in the possession of the prominent Ukrainian family, the Ginzburgs, is set to be auctioned in New York next month.

Experts predict that the necklace could fetch anywhere between £4 million and £12 million.

Evelyn Pumarek, former head of jewellery design at Garrard from 1996 to 1998, revealed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail that the necklace was the result of private discussions between Princess Diana and David Thomas, the crown jeweller at the time.

However, Lady Sarah McCorkadale, Diana's sister, took matters into her own hands and privately requested that Prince Harry be prohibited from participating in the auction.

Lady Sarah expressed her concern that the necklace might end up as a mere trinket for Meghan Markle, Diana's daughter-in-law whom she deemed hypocritical.

This move by Lady Sarah has caused disappointment and strained relations between her and Prince Harry.

Prince William, on the other hand, may decide against purchasing the necklace to avoid any controversy surrounding the royal family's use of taxpayer money to acquire extravagant items, especially in light of the upcoming coronation of King Charles.

This decision has further increased Lady Sarah's admiration for Prince William, Diana's eldest son.

Evelyn Pumarek reminisced about receiving clear instructions back in early March 1997 to create a necklace and earrings for a princess.

She was given seven pearls initially, but the finished necklace consisted of 12 pearls.

Although no names were mentioned, Evelyn was well aware of who the necklace was intended for.

She worked tirelessly to complete the necklace in time for a significant event where Diana, newly divorced, wanted to showcase her independence by wearing jewellery of her own choosing rather than borrowed pieces from the crown.

Following the event, Diana returned the necklace to David Thomas at Garrard, who then paired it with a set of matching earrings to complete the set.

Rumors circulated that Dodi Fayed, Diana's romantic partner at the time of her death, had considered purchasing the entire suite as a grand gesture of love, but this remains unconfirmed.

Insiders suggest that this is unlikely since Dodi and Diana only started dating several weeks after the Swan Lake performance.

In fact, the Swan Lake performance was sponsored by Mohamed Al Fayed, who later had dinner with Diana in a box at the Albert Hall.

It was during this dinner that Diana accepted Mohamed's invitation to spend the summer aboard his yacht in Saint-Tropez, where she would eventually meet Dodi.

Unfortunately, Diana never had the opportunity to wear the necklace or the matching earrings again before her untimely demise in August 1997.

The Swan Lake suite remained at Garrard until 1998 when the jeweller sought permission from Lady Sarah McCorkadale to include the necklace in a tribute fashion exhibition in Shropshire.

Lady Sarah responded favorably, expressing her willingness for Garrard to auction or privately sell the necklace.

Subsequently, the necklace was sold to a wealthy British man, who later sold it to American businessman Jim McIngvale for just under £800,000.

McIngvale purchased the jewels for his daughter to wear on her wedding day.

Ten years later, in 2010, amidst the financial crisis, McIngvale decided to sell the necklace and the matching set was acquired by the Ginzburg family, real estate magnates in Ukraine, for £458,569.

Now, after thirteen years, the Swan Lake suite is changing hands once again.

However, it is unlikely that any of the princesses of jewellery will be available for public sale.

Guernseys, the auctioneers overseeing the upcoming sale, have emphasized that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of royal history, albeit with a hefty price tag.

Interestingly, this time, a portion of the proceeds from the auction will go towards the rebuilding efforts in war-torn Ukraine, a cause that would likely have been close to Diana's heart.

As the anticipation builds, it remains to be seen who will be the fortunate individual to add Princess Diana's iconic necklace to their collection.