Style and Substance
The Collection of George and Charlotte Shultz

George & Charlotte Shultz

Charlotte Shultz (1933–2021) received Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, The Dalai Lama, and countless world leaders in San Francisco as the chief of protocol for more than fifty years, serving ten mayors. The savvy and glamorous philanthropist would welcome visiting dignitaries with a warm smile, depth of information, and impeccable style, and once, for Prince Charles and Camilla, she even flew on wires in a Wonder Woman costume. She was the dynamic combination of an excellent party giver and a diplomat who assisted more than eighty consuls general with their posts in San Francisco. After organizing a Broadway spectacular for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, Shultz told the San Francisco Chronicle “It was over the top wonderful,” and the same can be said of her unusual life. She found her perfect match in George Shultz, a great American statesman who served as secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan and held four different cabinet positions under three presidents. Married for more than two decades, they attended countless parties in glamorous attire with perfect jewelry and accessories to match.

Shultz arrived in San Francisco in 1963 with a friend and $35 in her pocket. Born Charlotte Smith in a small town in the Texas panhandle, her parents owned the local Five and Dime where she helped before graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in fashion design and marketing. She fell in love with San Francisco and volunteered for political campaigns where she shortly met the first of her three husbands, businessman and rancher John Ward “Jack” Mailliard III, who died of cancer in 1986. Shultz worked with his family to place his ranch into a conservancy with Save the Redwoods League. Her second husband, real estate developer and owner of the Fairmont Hotel, Melvin Swig died of cancer in 1993. He and Shultz worked together to raise funds to build the San Francisco Public Library.

Her 1997 wedding to George at Grace Cathedral was considered the social event of the year. George wore black tie, with red, white, and blue studs of rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. Jewelry was important to them, and they collected together. George didn’t wait for holidays to give her gifts. Countless photographs taken at galas show their sartorial style, perfectly matched down to the coordinated accessories, but the photos also show how much fun they had and how in love they were. Several photos show them dancing and laughing in the middle of a crowd of diners. Another page in their epic love story, George and Charlotte died within a year of each other in 2021, at the ages of 100 and 88. George said of his wife, “She’s wonderful and I love her. She’s a great wife and person. She’s married to me, but she’s also married to San Francisco.”

Together they made generous donations to causes and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from private citizens for San Francisco. Schultz was also on the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet, and several other organizations. She organized parades, galas, balls, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Shultz, “was a woman of unparalleled grace and generosity who loved San Francisco like no other.” Queen Elizabeth recognized Shultz’s service by awarding her commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her grace in handling royal visits.

Shultz made an impression on the friends she held closest to her as well. Maria Shriver posted a tribute to Shultz on her Twitter, calling her “a force of nature, a shining light.” Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Shultz chief of protocol for California 2004–2010, when Shriver was first lady. Shriver said, “Charlotte was one of my dearest, closest, most loving, loyal friends. She was beyond elegant, classy, smart, filled with contagious joy and creativity! She was a lady in every sense . . . I felt so deeply loved by her, and I felt enough in her presence.” Shultz was warm and didn’t take herself too seriously. She always looked to create important and meaningful moments. One of the last events she orchestrated, to raise spirits during the pandemic, was a citywide sing-along of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” with Tony Bennett.

The black-tie events that Charlotte had a hand in planning (and attended with George) required beautiful designer gowns from Caroline Herrera and Oscar de la Renta and an exceptional jewelry collection. A willowy blonde, Shultz favored solid colors and perfect tailoring. Her style and jewelry were always elevated and impeccable, be it the Black and White Ball or a climate summit. With civil service so important to her and George, it was fitting that Tiffany & Co., the most important American jeweler since 1893, was their favorite designer. The spectacular diamond, turquoise, and yellow sapphire “Hedges and Rows” necklace and the sapphire, emerald, and diamond “Scarf” necklace are two of Jean Schlumberger’s greatest designs for Tiffany and have been featured in important books and museum collections.