Audrey Hepburn May Have Worn Jewels From This Controversial Royal Figure in One of Her Films

Any time we get a fun, fascinating factoid about the making of one of our favorite movies, we get a bit of a thrill. And we may have just happened upon one of the most interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes out there. Audrey Hepburn‘s jewels for an iconic scene in the film Funny Face may have been provided by one controversial figure associated with the royal family, and you won’t believe who it is.

First, let’s set the scene. In the 1957 film, there’s a scene where Hepburn, as the bookshop-assistant-turned-model Jo, descends a grand staircase to have her photo taken by Dick (Fred Astaire). Hepburn is dressed head to toe in a ravishing red Givenchy gown with coordinated chiffon stole and long white gloves. But it’s the glittering emerald necklace that really stands out.

The gorgeous jewels were reportedly on loan from the Duchess of Windsor, aka Wallis Simpson. According to Audrey in Paris author Meghan Friedlander, fashion editor Diane Vreeland saw the Duchess of Windsor wearing the necklace at an event. When she approached the controversial royal about creating a replica for the picture, the Duchess of Windsor loaned the necklace for that one day of filming, per Town & Country.

“That’s my favorite anecdote in the book,” Friedlander shared with the outlet. “It was actually my friend Eduardo Sousa, an Audrey Hepburn fanatic from Brazil who knows everything there is to know about fashion, who found it. He has a large collection of vintage Brazilian magazines that are impossible to find, and if you do find them on eBay, they’re worth hundreds of dollars. And so, this anecdote was in one of his Brazilian magazines from 1957.”

Wallis Simpson, her name before her royal title, was the wife of King Edward VIII. Due to his intention to marry Simpson, who began a relationship with the royal when she was still married to her second husband, King Edward abdicated the throne. His reign lasted from Jan. 20, 1936 – Dec. 11, 1936. King George VI succeeded his brother. Following King George VI’s reign, Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952. We would have never guessed that necklace, on screen for just one scene, carried so much history.

Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.