How the wealthy live. According to the current owner of the Wilton Crescent townhouse, Lord Mountbatten, beloved uncle of Prince Philip, found himself tight for space in the property situated next door, where he lived with his wife from 1959 to 1968. The solution? He leased the townhouse adjacent to him. Such was the extent of Mountbatten’s popularity and wealth in the 60s, the townhouse served its purpose as an opportune space to entertain the couple’s many high-society friends, not to mention for storing precious antiques – a glorified house extension, one could call it.

The historic late Regency townhouse was built in 1827 by architect Thomas Cundy II. Wilton Crescent, where it is located, is named after the Earl of Wilton, one of the secondary titles of the Grosvenor Dukedom and family, the original developers of Belgravia. Clad in the finest Portland stone, lending a beautifully uniform presence to the row of houses, the five-storey townhouse boasts 6,337 sq. ft. of living space, a private courtyard garden, a large south-facing first-floor roof terrace and access to the crescent’s private communal gardens that the semi-circle of homes looks out upon.

Aside from the Mountbatten’s, records of previous homeowners show an illustrious history. The property’s first recorded resident was Edward Round, who paid an annual rent of £60 (£6,636 if adjusted to 2019), noted in 1829. The property was then repurposed as a private boarding school for eight girls, before becoming home to Sir John Edward Harington, 10th Baronet, a descendent of a Baron for King Edward II. In 1904, James Campbell-Bannerman moved into the property, who was the Conservative MP for Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities and the brother of British Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (who served 1905-8). Sir Henry lived nearby on Grosvenor Place and visited James at Wilton Crescent on a number of occasions.

The current homeowners have lived at the property for more than 30 years. They have “refreshed” the interior design of each room on a six-month basis, whilst revolving their extensive collection of antiques in keeping with the Georgian and Regency era. Five family bedrooms and two magnificent reception rooms with exceptional proportions grace the mansion, along with a formal dining room, butler’s quarters, two wine cellars, staff accommodation, TV room and study. Should the prospective owners find themselves a bit cramped, like Lord Mountbatten, there is also a separate mews house with parking for five vehicles, available by separate negotiation – what a relief.