The Queen of Versailles"

 

The 2012 documentary "The Queen of Versailles" is known for its over-the-top displays of jaw-dropping wealth, following the Siegel family as they aim to build the largest single-family residence in the United States: an 85,000-square-foot mansion in Windermere, Fla. At the time, there was a sense of schadenfreude online as the film showed the family's timeshare fortune take a tumble in the 2008 financial crisis and construction on the home ground to a halt. Now the "queen" of the manor, Jackie Siegel is back with a new reality series in which she shows off the ongoing renovations — including an imported British pub and an aviary with baby toucans. In an interview with The Post, Siegel talks about the inspiration behind her decision to go back in front of the cameras: Her daughter Victoria's overdose death, at age 18, in 2015 “We agreed to do the show because [it would] follow the house — and also our personal story, with our legacy of the loss of our daughter," Siegel said. Seven years later, Siegel still won’t let cleaners into Victoria's bedroom. To keep memories close, she maintains an altar in the house where she lights incense every day and prays for her daughter. “When Victoria died, it felt like my world fell apart, and all the money in the world could not bring her back,” Siegel told The Post. Read the whole interview below. We also take a look at Tina Brown's new book on the royal family, explore how opportunists got rich off the pandemic, and chat with Sarah Palin — running for office once again. Have a great Sunday. Shelly Ridenour Deputy Editor, News Features, New York Post