Fit for a king: London homes with royal connections
With anticipation for our royally-sanctioned long weekend ramping up, we look at homes touched by the noble lineage
In case you haven’t heard, the coronation of King Charles III will take place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. For royalists, it’s an historical occasion – a celebration of centuries of proud heritage. For others, it’s an extra bank holiday and the chance to get tipsy at a street party. Love it or loathe it, royal fever is certainly ramping up and, in recognition of this fact, we’ve rounded up some fantastic on-the-market properties with blue blood links.
Even if you’re a staunch republican, the charms of a historical property cannot be denied. For one, dwellings associated with the highborn – whether that means proximity to palaces or a past life as royal accommodation – are bound to be impressive. Plus, a home with a story brings a certain je ne sais quoi. Politics aside, it’s pretty cool to say that Queen Elizabeth once roamed the halls of your home.
Read on for properties with a stately stamp of approval.
Trent Park, EN4
The Queen Mother at Trent Park
The royals may be headquartered in Westminster, but they’re also partial to a jaunt outside the capital. The Queen spent weekends in Windsor and summered at Balmoral, which was thought to have been her favourite residence. We’re not venturing quite that far for this property – just Enfield (although this north London outpost may as well be Scotland as far as PCL purists are concerned).
Trent Park is a scheme set around the renovation of Trent Park House which, back in the 14th century, was one of Henry IV’s game reserves. It ended up in the hands of socialite Edward Sassoon, who created a country retreat visited by guests including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and – you guessed it – Queen Elizabeth.
Prices from £783,000 – £1.79 million, berkeleygroup.co.uk
Lancer Square, W8
Fancy the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as neighbours? This boutique development is located half a mile from their royal residence and is built on the original site of Kensington Palace’s grounds and kitchen garden (later the Kensington Barracks). Not only is Lancer Square situated right in royal territory, but the development takes cues from the design of the 17th-century palace. The 36 residences – which range in size from one- to four-bedroom apartments – feature a grid-like structure that evokes the symmetry of Kensington Palace, and the three buildings are positioned around a landscaped courtyard.
Prices of remaining units start at £12.1 million, lancersquare.co.uk
No. 1 Palace Street, SW1E
The clue is in the name. On Buckingham Palace Road, and a five-minute walk from the monarch’s pile itself, lies the redevelopment of the Palace Hotel, which was once used as overflow accommodation for Queen Victoria’s guests. The development is so close to the action, in fact, that residences actually overlook the palace gardens. These serve as the inspiration for No. 1 Palace Street’s flagship apartment, House of Walpole. Here, you’ll find all manner of royals-inspired quirks, from a bathroom that pays homage to Queen Charlotte’s menagerie to a 3D mural of ‘Victoria’ and ‘Albert’ – two London planes planted 150 years ago by the Queen and her consort.
Prices from £2.87 – £36 million, residential.jll.co.uk
Queens Gate Gardens, SW7
This property resides within one of the stucco-fronted period buildings that fringe the attractive garden squares of South Kensington. Queens Gate Gardens was originally constructed in the 19th century, and its design (of large houses and mews surrounding an ornamental square) is reported to have been one of the first of its kind, and the model for many others subsequently built in this postcode. But Queens Gate Gardens has a particularly noble claim: this was once home to the Earl of Strathmore, the father of the late Queen Mother, who lived in what is now the Strathmore Hotel at number 41.
Price: £5.65 million, marshandparsons.co.uk
Warwick Avenue, W9
The London postcodes most commonly associated with the royals are W8 and SW1 – the loci of Buckingham and Kensington Palaces – but, in reality, with the capital’s rich history, almost all corners have been touched by their influence. In 1811, for example, architect John Nash produced a masterplan for George IV, then Prince Regent, to redevelop central north London – the Regent’s Canal was included in the scheme, built to better connect the area. The canal starts in the charming basin of Little Venice and the surrounding area of Warwick Avenue is highly desirable today – which is where this three-bed, two-bath property resides.
Price: £1.79 million, sothebysrealty.co.uk
Upper Belgrave Street, SW1
Upper Belgrave Street, which connects Belgrave and Eaton Squares, isn’t short of royal connections, many of which are commemorated with blue plaques. Number 13 was once home to George Fitzclarence, the illegitimate son of King William IV and actress Dorothea Jordan. The same building became the home of Lord Harwood, the eldest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. And Alfred Tennyson, the English poet and Laureate through Queen Victoria’s reign, lived at number nine in the 1880s. You can become part of the next chapter of this illustrious address with this first-floor, three-bedroom apartment in a detached Grade II listed building.
Price: £8.5 million, middletonadvisors.com
Royal Exchange, KT1
We’re going back a bit further to demonstrate the royal claim of our next suggestion – back to 838, in fact. This was the year that the medieval market town of Kingston was first recorded in a Royal Charter. It is Britain’s oldest borough, with close proximity to the former royal hunting ground of Bushey Park. Royal Exchange Kingston is a brand new development set around the Grade II listed Old Post Office and Telephone Exchange. It even has a clutch of homes, the Crown Collection, named in homage to the leafy royal borough.
Prices from £780,000, royalexchangekingston.com
