Tamara Ecclestone just had £50m of jewellery stolen. But should we feel sorry for her?

Imagine having so much money that you can afford to splash £50m pounds of it on jewellery?

That’s the reality for Tamara Ecclestone, who is estimated to be worth £230m.

But, sadly for the daughter of ex Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, her home – which, incidentally, has 57 bedrooms and is itself worth £70 million – was burgled, with an estimated £50m of her jewellery being stolen.

But people haven’t exactly been gushing with sympathy.

Social media users have criticised Ecclestone for having what they consider to be an obscene amount of wealth. This follows previous debates over whether it's morally right for billionaires like her dad to exist in the first place.

Of course, it must be traumatic to have your private space invaded and your property stolen. Many of us can relate to that, because it's happened to us.

But what this issue highlights is a the inequality that enabled Ecclestone to amass this wealth. That is much harder for most of us to relate to.

Certainly, following an election where issues such as an underfunded NHS, foodbank use, homelessness, a housing crisis and the effects of austerity were on the agenda, some people are finding it hard to sorry for someone that can afford to spend huge sums on jewellery. It might not seem pretty or noble, but when people are struggling, should we be surprised that sympathy is in short supply?

A lifestyle of extravagance is often held up as something to aspire to. While we should feel sorry for Ecclestone on a human level, but this incident has drawn people's attention to the disparity of wealth in the UK – which, after all, can't be a bad thing.

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