MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT

Jewellery designer Beatrice de Montille

BeaTrice de MonTiLLe, 40, founded jewellery boutique Merci Maman in 2007. This summer she was awarded The Queen’s award for enterprise. She lives in London with her husband arnaud, 40, and children Martin, 13, chloe, 10, romane, seven and Garance, five.

ON THE day we announced the Duchess of Cambridge had worn a Merci Maman necklace engraved with the name ‘George’, I knew my life was about to change.

I started my company at my kitchen table ten years ago after looking for a personalised gift for my second child. I began making hand-engraved jewellery and embroidered gifts, and two months later I was selling them at school fairs. Six months after that, I launched the online business.

Word of mouth is powerful — Pippa Middleton’s friend introduced her to us. She gave the gift to her sister in 2013. We were thrilled when we were told Kate had been photographed wearing the necklace, but advice from a journalist friend proved to be my light bulb moment. She pointed out that if the news came out now, we wouldn’t have the stock to fulfil orders and it would be a wasted opportunity.

So we got ready and announced it two weeks later in Hello! — a friend appeared with champagne, saying: ‘You’re going to double your business.’ She was right.

It was a military operation — everyone had a task: assembling, packing, engraving. We sold as many products in two weeks as we normally do at Christmas. We had 12 staff. Six months later we had 23. We thought business would decrease the next year but it hasn’t. Once you’ve got Kate in your story, it’s for ever.

We opened an atelier in France, and we’re opening in Germany soon. But our bestseller is still the so-called Duchess Necklace.