What was Monte like before Grace Kelly arrived?
It had a reputation where the rich could squander shamelessly. After recovering from the war, my parents, joined by fellow Brits avoiding currency restrictions, went to Monte Carlo. A U.K. Inspector, Mr. Tarr, would follow travellers from the Paris Ritz on the Blue Train to the Riviera and make notes on who was spending more than the ten British Pounds limit. A diamond bracelet innocently worn on a wrist and then sold for cash could ensconce one in Monte Carlo comfortably that August 1950. My parents checked into the Hotel de Paris. My great uncle Maurice de Vries shot himself there after losing his fortune at the tables in 1915. It was during their stay that my existence commenced. I was to be the second born. No small wonder that diamonds are in my blood.
