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Queen of Diamonds: The Fabled Legacy of Evalyn Walsh McLean
The last and longest private owner of the Hope Diamond, Evalyn Walsh McLean led anything but an ordinary life.
Evalyn grew up a poor girl in a rough Colorado mining town where her father discovered one of the largest gold mines in the United States. The newly wealthy family relocated to Washington, D.C., where she met and married Ned McLean, who inherited the renowned Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. With the combined influence of the Walsh and McLean families, Evalyn developed friendships with the politically prominent in the nation's capital and became the city's favorite hostess. Notorious for giving magnificent parties, she counted the Tafts, the Hardings, the Coolidges, Alice Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover, and Ethel Barrymore among her many personal friends.
The McLeans purchased the Hope Diamond when Evalyn was only twenty-four. Wagging tongues and the diamond's supposed curse did not, however, prevent her from wearing it. She lost the diamond a few times, too, once by putting it around her Great Dane's neck. When she left the Hope Diamond to her grandchildren in 1947, it was worth two million dollars.
Evalyn loved her diamonds, but she loved children, pets, and life more. The deep indigo stone is but a single facet of her story. Her autobiography, Father Struck It Rich, became a best-seller in the mid-thirties. Now illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, Queen of Diamonds is that autobiography with a foreword by her great-grandson and an epilogue describing the last decade of her life.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1936
36 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Evalyn Walsh McLean
6 books5 followersAn American mining heiress and socialite; owner of the Hope Diamond.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 29, 2015
I enjoyed this book for what it said of mining and some early descriptions of life in the wild Colorado mountains. As the story went on, however, I was much less involved and couldn't really care for any of the people. This would have been a much better book had it been merely details of gaining wealth with an afterward of a few paragraphs that described what was done with said wealth, and the hardships that came.
September 4, 2016
I intended this book to be a Colorado read while traveling in Colorado, but it is primarily bout a Washington socialite, and a very wealthy one at that. The tales of living in a mining town, and how her father struck it rich, are enjoyable. The story of how she and her drunkard husband spent the considerable fortune is disappointing.
May 22, 2024
The first five chapters set in Southwest Colorado held my interest as the author recounted how her father struck it rich in mining at Camp Bird. My focus waned precipitously (in parallel to this, I bounced from book to book then finally plowed through to the end) from there as the remainder of the book read as a vapid who's who of high society at this time and that of a fairly hollow woman. Wholly uninspiring. If the book wrapped up before Evalyn and her family moved to Paris and later DC, very little would be missed. Do not recommend.
September 21, 2025
Evalyn Walsh McLean first came to my attention when I read the book Florence Harding: The First Lady, The Jazz Age, and the Death of America's Most Scandalous President by Carl Sferrazza Anthony.
While she was First Lady, Florence and Evalyn became best friends. Anthony’s book indicated that they indeed had a very strong friendship, which soured when Florence found out Evalyn had been allowing the President to use her house for his extramarital affairs. I found Evalyn to be an interesting character, rich beyond belief but also benevolent. She had more money than she knew what to do with, and grew up a spoiled rich girl who calculatingly manipulated her parents. Yet as she matured she displayed a tenderness in her heart for others.
Evalyn was also the first owner of the Hope Diamond, which made her kind of hard to forget. On our recent trip to Colorado, we stopped at the Ouray County Museum, and one of the rooms was made-up to look like the living room of the Walsh family. Along with a photo of the family, the book, Queen of Diamonds, was on a table along with a picture of the Hope Diamond. Ouray was where her father had made his massive fortune with the Camp Bird Mine and now I wanted to read her book. Of course, the museum was out of stock, and the local bookstore didn’t carry it. I was finally able to locate a copy, and Queen of Diamonds is a commemorative edition of her 1936 autobiography, Father Struck it Rich, with a foreword by her great-grandson, so I'm putting my review here.
Evalyn’s father, Thomas Walsh, was a millwright who caught gold fever. Twice. While he made one fortune, all was lost in the Panic of 1893 and he decided to stick to real estate investments. He still owned some mines and found a promise of gold at the Camp Bird Mine. He followed his hunch and a second immense fortune was made. Walsh sold the mine in 1902 for $5 million, about $180 million in today’s dollars. While Walsh moved the family to Washington, DC, he never forgot about Ouray. The hospital, which is now the Ouray County Museum, was operated by the Sisters of Mercy and when the Sisters had a hard time paying the mortgage, Walsh paid it. Walsh also gave generously to Ouray’s Catholic Church with instructions to distribute it equally between all of Ouray’s churches. Walsh instructed the Camp Bird Mine manager to ensure no poverty or destitution should exist in Ouray, and any such situations should be quietly and instantly relieved.
So, back to Evalyn. The family’s riches came during her adolescence, and she is spoiled to the core. This is her autobiography and she alludes to knowing how pampered she is by saying new things became less and less exciting. Probably true as she becomes a thrill-seeker, yet she makes no excuses for taking full advantage at every opportunity when a shiny bauble catches her eye.
Evalyn marries Edward “Ned” Beale McLean who is heir-apparent to the publishing fortune consisting of the Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Unfortunately, Ned is a drunk and will remain a drunk until his dying days and Evalyn never really appears to be happy in her marriage. Ned has a hard time standing up to his parents, who hold the money, and he has no ambition in life. While both live off their parents, blowing through $200,000 spending money on their honeymoon ($7 million in today’s dollars), Evalyn seems to expect more from Ned. Evalyn said she would rather shop than see the pyramids. After meeting with the Sultan of Constantinople Evalyn asked a member of his staff for a tour of the harem. His reply was, “It’s not necessarily like going through Coney Island or any other play resort.” I’m not sure how she perceived his comment.
Evalyn is drawn to jewelry, and purchases the Hope Diamond which she wears all the time. She even loans it to brides for their something borrowed, something blue. She will later purchase the Star of the East, and both will be pawned numerous times in the future when she falls on hard times. Ned would end up owing $300,000 (over $100 million today) to his creditors, and Evalyn was reduced to a $1,000 monthly allowance from Ned’s family. In Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s book, she tells of a conversation she had with Evalyn, who tearfully says “I simply can’t get my budget below $250,000 a year. Flowers, $40,000; household, $100,000; travel, $35,000.” In later years she will write a newspaper column for ladies, saying she did so because she needed the money, but complaining that the work was exhausting and interrupted her social activities. This was while she renovated her home to expand the ballroom to accommodate three orchestras for her son’s 21st birthday party.
Interestingly, Evalyn glosses over her relationship with Florence Harding. The book was written years after Florence’s death, and Evalyn made it sound as if they were mere acquaintances and that she felt sorry for Florence. Florence was shunned by polite society because she had been pregnant out of wedlock, abandoned, homeless, divorced, a single mother and her husband’s business partner. Also, Evalyn says that Florence may have been a beauty at one time, but wasn’t aging well and didn’t have any sense of style.
Well, this is her autobiography, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. For all her faults, Evalyn did have a generous heart at times and this was an interesting read.
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While she was First Lady, Florence and Evalyn became best friends. Anthony’s book indicated that they indeed had a very strong friendship, which soured when Florence found out Evalyn had been allowing the President to use her house for his extramarital affairs. I found Evalyn to be an interesting character, rich beyond belief but also benevolent. She had more money than she knew what to do with, and grew up a spoiled rich girl who calculatingly manipulated her parents. Yet as she matured she displayed a tenderness in her heart for others.
Evalyn was also the first owner of the Hope Diamond, which made her kind of hard to forget. On our recent trip to Colorado, we stopped at the Ouray County Museum, and one of the rooms was made-up to look like the living room of the Walsh family. Along with a photo of the family, the book, Queen of Diamonds, was on a table along with a picture of the Hope Diamond. Ouray was where her father had made his massive fortune with the Camp Bird Mine and now I wanted to read her book. Of course, the museum was out of stock, and the local bookstore didn’t carry it. I was finally able to locate a copy, and Queen of Diamonds is a commemorative edition of her 1936 autobiography, Father Struck it Rich, with a foreword by her great-grandson, so I'm putting my review here.
Evalyn’s father, Thomas Walsh, was a millwright who caught gold fever. Twice. While he made one fortune, all was lost in the Panic of 1893 and he decided to stick to real estate investments. He still owned some mines and found a promise of gold at the Camp Bird Mine. He followed his hunch and a second immense fortune was made. Walsh sold the mine in 1902 for $5 million, about $180 million in today’s dollars. While Walsh moved the family to Washington, DC, he never forgot about Ouray. The hospital, which is now the Ouray County Museum, was operated by the Sisters of Mercy and when the Sisters had a hard time paying the mortgage, Walsh paid it. Walsh also gave generously to Ouray’s Catholic Church with instructions to distribute it equally between all of Ouray’s churches. Walsh instructed the Camp Bird Mine manager to ensure no poverty or destitution should exist in Ouray, and any such situations should be quietly and instantly relieved.
So, back to Evalyn. The family’s riches came during her adolescence, and she is spoiled to the core. This is her autobiography and she alludes to knowing how pampered she is by saying new things became less and less exciting. Probably true as she becomes a thrill-seeker, yet she makes no excuses for taking full advantage at every opportunity when a shiny bauble catches her eye.
Evalyn marries Edward “Ned” Beale McLean who is heir-apparent to the publishing fortune consisting of the Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Unfortunately, Ned is a drunk and will remain a drunk until his dying days and Evalyn never really appears to be happy in her marriage. Ned has a hard time standing up to his parents, who hold the money, and he has no ambition in life. While both live off their parents, blowing through $200,000 spending money on their honeymoon ($7 million in today’s dollars), Evalyn seems to expect more from Ned. Evalyn said she would rather shop than see the pyramids. After meeting with the Sultan of Constantinople Evalyn asked a member of his staff for a tour of the harem. His reply was, “It’s not necessarily like going through Coney Island or any other play resort.” I’m not sure how she perceived his comment.
Evalyn is drawn to jewelry, and purchases the Hope Diamond which she wears all the time. She even loans it to brides for their something borrowed, something blue. She will later purchase the Star of the East, and both will be pawned numerous times in the future when she falls on hard times. Ned would end up owing $300,000 (over $100 million today) to his creditors, and Evalyn was reduced to a $1,000 monthly allowance from Ned’s family. In Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s book, she tells of a conversation she had with Evalyn, who tearfully says “I simply can’t get my budget below $250,000 a year. Flowers, $40,000; household, $100,000; travel, $35,000.” In later years she will write a newspaper column for ladies, saying she did so because she needed the money, but complaining that the work was exhausting and interrupted her social activities. This was while she renovated her home to expand the ballroom to accommodate three orchestras for her son’s 21st birthday party.
Interestingly, Evalyn glosses over her relationship with Florence Harding. The book was written years after Florence’s death, and Evalyn made it sound as if they were mere acquaintances and that she felt sorry for Florence. Florence was shunned by polite society because she had been pregnant out of wedlock, abandoned, homeless, divorced, a single mother and her husband’s business partner. Also, Evalyn says that Florence may have been a beauty at one time, but wasn’t aging well and didn’t have any sense of style.
Well, this is her autobiography, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. For all her faults, Evalyn did have a generous heart at times and this was an interesting read.
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November 5, 2012
I read the new version (Queen of Diamonds) with an epilogue written by the author's great-grandson and overall enjoyed learning more about life in a Colorado mining town (Ouray for the most part) through experiencing the pitfalls of being super wealthy. The McLeans rubbed elbows with the movers and shakers of their time so this firsthand account of life in the late 19th through mid 20th centuries was intriguing.
July 27, 2017
I chose to read this because of it's tie to Colorado history. Unfortunately more than half of the book covers the author's life after the family's wealth accumulation and move away from Colorado. The later chapters were simply society and political name dropping and very stream of consciousness. Some of the information was interesting but the poor organization and writing limited enjoyment.
Money doesn't buy happiness nor a talented editor.
Money doesn't buy happiness nor a talented editor.
August 26, 2016
McLean's early years in the Colorado Rockies had to have been exhilarating, difficult, interesting, and tedious. Wealth ruined her life. Perhaps it's more accurate to say that she wasted her wealth on a lifestyle that lead to ruin.
January 2, 2009
pretty good. makes you want to not have all that money.
November 16, 2012
This book is well written for an autobiography and has a lot of historical anecdotes throughout.
April 3, 2016
This book brought history to life.
I really enjoyed the frankness with which McLean described her life. She was not afraid to say what she thought or tell it like it was.
I really enjoyed the frankness with which McLean described her life. She was not afraid to say what she thought or tell it like it was.
October 4, 2020
Great
I truly enjoyed this book. Well written and meaningful. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading about our countrys past and the colorful characters
I truly enjoyed this book. Well written and meaningful. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading about our countrys past and the colorful characters
December 16, 2020
What an awful ,dreadful person. She rented a black child to be a live-in friend for her son because, as stated, she couldn't buy one. She had rental remorse and sent him back after a few months.
She burnt through a one hundred million dollar inheritance she received in 1909. The arrogance, the drunkenness, the total lack of self reflection is stunning.
That said, I was curious if she would redeem herself by the end. Spoiler alert: it doesn't happen.
She burnt through a one hundred million dollar inheritance she received in 1909. The arrogance, the drunkenness, the total lack of self reflection is stunning.
That said, I was curious if she would redeem herself by the end. Spoiler alert: it doesn't happen.
August 11, 2023
The book was poorly written but was very interesting. The author is the daughter of Tom Walsh, the founder of the Camp Bird Mine in Ouray, CO. He and his family become fabulously wealthy and cavort with the rich and powerful, including several Presidents. The daughter is spoiled and undisciplined and flounders in life.
August 24, 2018
Lots of great history in this book. Loved it
April 23, 2019
Written in the 1930s it’s got history and her perspectives in being rich, I really enjoyed it
July 23, 2019
A little slow, but interesting story about family who struck in rich in gold mine in Ouray, CO
February 12, 2016
An autobiography of one of the richest women in the world. Her father struck gold outside of Ouray CO and his riches afforded a lifestyle to his daughter and her husband that allowed them to never work a day in their lives. She knew presidents and kings and owned the Hope Diamond. Spent a fortune but had a life filled with tragedy.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews