Princess Margaret's jewellery, including £100 secondhand watch Queen Mother once bought her, to fetch millions at public auction

Rare collection of personal items to go under the hammer in Birmingham
Items include a flawless 5.16 carat diamond ring expected to fetch £750,000
Secondhand gold watch bought as present by Queen Mother also on sale

PUBLISHED: 14:00 EST, 3 April 2013 | UPDATED: 15:23 EST, 3 April 2013

A rare collection of personal items that once belonged to Princess Margaret is to go under the hammer for the first time at a public auction.

The Princess Margaret Collection, which comprises belongings from her apartment in Kensington Palace, will be sold at the 'Antiques for Everyone' auction in Birmingham this month.

Items going under the hammer include a flawless 5.16 carat diamond ring, made for the Princess in 1970, that is expected to fetch £750,000.

Going under the hammer: The Princess Margaret Collection will be sold at the Antiques for Everyone auction in Birmingham

Rare gem: This flawless 5.16 carat diamond ring, made for the Princess in 1970, is expected to fetch £750,000

Royal gift: Princess Margaret wearing the gold watch that was a present from her mother

Bought for £100, the watch is now worth £150,000.

Birthday gift: Bought for £100, the gold watch the Princess is seen wearing, left, is now worth £150,000

The Queen Mother purchased the art deco watch secondhand from Cartier in 1940

The ring is one of the most expensive single items ever to go on sale in the 28-year history of the fair.

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A Cartier watch bought for Princess Margaret by the Queen Mother for her 20th birthday will also feature in the sale. The Queen Mother purchased the art deco watch second hand from the famous jewellers in 1940 for just £100. It is now worth £150,000.

the ring is is one of the most expensive single items ever to go on sale in the 28 year history of the fair

A solid gold clock with the princess' initial with a crown over, left, is expected to fetch up to £140,000, while the ring is is one of the most expensive single items ever to go on sale in the 28 year history of the fair

Seal of approval: All of the items on sale have been authenticated by Princess Margaret's son Lord Linley

Royal treasures: The items have all come from the Princess' apartment in Kensington Palace

Meanwhile, a solid gold clock with the princess' initial with a crown over it is expected to fetch up to £140,000.

Other items for sale include trinkets, paintings and photos of the Princess, the Queen's sister, with prices beginning at £2,000.

A spokesman for Riverside Antiques said: 'All of the items on sale have been authenticated by Princess Margaret’s son Lord Linley.

'What is so compelling about the collection is that it is part of the fascinating and sometimes turbulent life of the Princess and many of these items were personally used or worn by her.'

Also for sale, but not at the fair because of its size, is a four poster bed which was made for the royal Princesses’ grandparents. It resided mainly at Glamis Castle where Princess Margaret was born and is widely believed to be the bed she was born in.

Antiques For Everyone runs at Birmingham's NEC from 4 to 7 April

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They already sold a big chunk of the princess's jewelry, tiaras and all. A bit of a shame that the aristocracy can't or won't keep their heirlooms for future generations as their ancestors did. But hey, nowadays it's all for the cash tout de suite.

- Mila , Brussels, 04/4/2013 14:43

Click to rate Rating 2

Greedy son.

- yarrumba , Paradise_here and now, Australia, 04/4/2013 11:56

Click to rate Rating 7

The watch and the clock are beautiful. The ring is spectacularly ugly, very cheap looking.

- Babs Fan , San Francisco, United States, 04/4/2013 06:21

Click to rate Rating 59

The ring is hideous! I'd wait for something beautiful from Princess Margarets collection.

- donnag , Appleton, 04/4/2013 04:27

Click to rate Rating 62

Over the span of her life Princess Margaret amassed quite a bit of jewellery, so it is not surprising that her children selected what they wish to keep and dispose of what they do not like or have no use for. Her son is an astute businessman and will handle the sale advantageously for his sister and himself. It is lovely so see Lady Sarah wear her Mother's dangling huge pearl earrings.

- MiniLin , Boston, United States, 04/4/2013 03:52

Click to rate Rating 33

I think the ring is kind of cool. Very au courant, really!

- lindsay , upstate new york, 04/4/2013 03:19

Click to rate Rating 8

There doesn't seem to be a lot of personal attachment to these items. Was she close to her children? If it were me it would be hard to let them go.

- Seashantee , Shelton, 04/4/2013 03:02

Click to rate Rating 29

Whoever owns all these items are with in their rights to do what they do with them wether to keep them or sell them that is up to them and no one else.. No one tells you what you can and can't sell....

- Banksy , UK, United Kingdom, 04/4/2013 02:22

Click to rate Rating 39

That diamond is uncut.

- Native , New Yorker, 04/4/2013 02:11

Click to rate Rating 14

The jewellery is nothing special - and nor was their owner, methinks the estimates given by the auction house are somewhat inflated. Princess Margaret may have had Mustique - but she had very little mystique. By all accounts a ghastly, ego driven and at times ogre-ish woman of average looks and intellect who exploited her royal status to the full. Nonetheless it is sad these personal items have not been handed down to her daughter. As others have said - are her kids really so hard up?!

- Dolly Diamond , Brighton, 04/4/2013 01:40

Click to rate Rating 13

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