£20,000 BRACELET

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 January 1939, Page 2

£20,000 BRACELET

BOUGHT FOR HALF-A-CROWX The story of a £20.000 bracelet lost by Princess Juliana of Holland when acting as bridesmaid at. the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and of .its subsequent, purchase for half-a-crown in the Caledonian Market. London. was told by .Miss Marjorie Wyatt, of Devonport, Auckland, and formerly of Napier, who is' visiting Hastings.

Miss Wyatt said a niece of hers was in the company of a friend who purchased the bracelet, thinking it. was a paste imitation. Advertisements seeking the recovery of the bracelet, which belongs to the Crown Jewels of the House of Orange, were inserted in a number of newspapers, but. Princess Juliana’s loss was given as little publicity as possible, owing io fears for the bracelet's safety. It was thought likely that, in the event of the bracelet coming into the hands of some unscrupulous person, the . jewels with which it was studded might be taken out and disposed of separately.

“With a friend, my niece. Miss Bridget Holroyd. whose mother was formerly Miss Dora Wyatt, of Napier, was visiting the Caledonian Market when her friend saw a bracelet which look her fancy." Miss Wyatt said. “Upon asking the price of the bracelet. she was told it was 7/(1. Thinking the bracelet was nothing more than a paste imitation, she offered 2/6 for it. This, after much bargaining, was accept cd.

"On retitrning to her home she again examined the bracelet and. being struck by its handsome appearance. site took it to a jeweller to have it ('leaned ami valued. After examining it for a minute or two the jeweller asked that it should be left with him for a few days." REWARD ()!•' C2OOH. The next development. Miss Wyatt paid. was the receipt by Iter niece's friend, some days later, of a letter asking Iter to call upon the jeweller. Site did so and was told that the bracelet which she had purchased i'itT

2 a was none other than the £20,000 bracelet which Princess Julian;; had had the misfortune to lose. The young woman who had handed the bracelet to lite jeweller subsequently received a cheque for £2OOO from the insurance company. Miss Wwtrt said. This was later followed by a letter from Princess Juliana herself. thanking her for restoring her famous bracelet. From, the story as told by Miss Wyatt's relatives in England, it Seems that the bracelet, was found by a London street sweeper and. eight or nine months ago. or over three years after the royal wedding, it. had found its way into the Caledonian Market.