The former Belgravia residence of the Greek royal family has gone on sale for a staggering £39.5 million.
The Grade II listed six bedroom townhouse with connecting mews house is located in one of London’s most exclusive postcodes – Eaton Square in Belgravia.
But the square is also nicknamed Red Square, due to the number of Russia’s most powerful oligarchs also owning properties there – including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and Gazprom chief Andrey Goncharenko.
The rare property is now on the market with Beauchamp Estates and is expected to create a bidding war.
Originally built in 1825-1826 by Thomas Cubitt under the auspices of the Duke of Westminster, the house boasts an ‘abundance of luxurious and beautiful accommodation’.
The Grade II listed six bedroom townhouse which was owned by the Greek royal family has gone on sale in Belgravia for a staggering £39.5 million
The property with connecting mews house is located in one of London’s most exclusive postcodes – Eaton Square
Gary Hersham, founding director of Beauchamp Estates explained: ‘With its fascinating royal history, this magnificent townhouse-mansion provides the opportunity to acquire one of the finest houses on Eaton Square.’
He added that it was on the market for the ‘first time in a generation’.
It is a rare find, being just one of just twelve garden facing freehold houses on the square, regarded as the best address in London.
The house boasts an elegant stucco and brick façade with an entrance portico with Doric columns.
Notable features include the full width marble floored and Corinthian columned reception hall which provides a superb sense of arrival on entry.
Its principal reception rooms all have generous ceiling heights and tall windows, while the rooms boast marble fireplaces, beautiful gilt edged wall pannelling, elegant gilded ceiling coving and bespoke design parquet flooring.
The house also has palatial entertaining areas, including a grand reception hall, formal dining room and conservatory opening onto a garden terrace.
It also has interconnecting main reception room and sitting room on the first floor, both opening onto outside balconies, alongside a study.
The master bedroom suite occupies its own private floor on the second level of the house and there are three further bedroom suites and a study on the top floors.
On the lower ground floor, which connects directly to the mews house under the garden terrace, there is another guest bedroom suite, a gymnasium and a kitchen with separate servery, utility and laundry room.
The mews house also contains five bedrooms, and comes with an integral garage.
The house itself was refurbished to the highest possible standard in 1995 by interior designer Nicky Haslam, once dubbed the ‘most well connected man in Britain’.
It also comes with 2.5 hectares of pet friendly private gardens, with tennis court and picnic lawns.
Residents of the square can also benefit from access to the 4.5 acre Belgrave Square communal gardens.
The property was also originally the London residence of the Greek Royal family.
In 1947, it became the home of HRH Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark and her husband Major Richard Brandram MC, an officer in the British Army.
Katherine had first met her husband whilst they were both aboard the RMS Ascania, which was travelling to England.
One of the formal dining rooms: The property is the perfect home in which to host guests and family
The master bedroom: The room boasts a huge four-poster bed, elegant lighting and has views onto the communal garden
In 1947, the property became the home of HRH Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (pictured), who lived between 1913 and 2007
Educated in England at boarding school Broadstairs, Princess Katherine was the daughter of HM King Constantine I of Greece and his wife Princess Sophie of Prussia.
Her cousin was HRH Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her second-cousin was Philip’s wife, the late Queen Elizabeth.
Katherine’s links with the British royal family were strong.
Both she and the-then future Queen Elizabeth were royal bridesmaids at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Prince George, Duke of Kent, in 1934.
In August 1947, when Princess Katherine and her husband settled in England, King George VI granted the princess a British title, Lady Katherine Brandram, with precedence as the daughter of a Royal Duke.
The princess was a guest at Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding in 1947 and continued to occasionally attend royal events including the wedding of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in the summer of 1995 in St Sophia’s Cathedral in London.
One of the rooms is an elegant garden dining room, perfect for hosting loved-ones for special occasions
This delightful conservatory leads onto a courtyard garden – one of the many chill-out spots in the house
The house was the previous residence of the Greek royal family, which boasted close ties to the UK royals
The house is filled with expensive furniture, including gilded mirrors and paintings of fine art work (pictured left and right)
The house comes with access to green space, including this courtyard and several communal gardens
Fit for a queen: This marble bathroom boasts a deep bath and chairs and a luxurious feeling just perfect for relaxing
A functional kitchen: No doubt whoever buys this house will not be doing their own cooking. The property also has a food lift
Suits you sir! Many are content with a simple wardrobe, but this property comes with a whole walk-in closet
The large property boasts this elegant marble entrance room with chandelier and wide staircase and floor pattern seemingly in the shape of a sun dial
Eaton Square has access to several communal gardens perfect for picnicking in the centre of London
The gardens boast mature trees and lush lawns and are exclusive so keep out any London riffraff
The 1934 royal wedding between Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. L-R, Princess Katherine of Greece, Lady Iris Mountbatten, the Princess of Wales, Princess Eugenie of Greece, the Duchess of Kent, the grand Duchess Kyra of Russia, the Duke of York, Princess Irene of Greece, Princess Julianna of the Netherlands. Seated Lady Mary Cambridge and Princess Elizabeth
In 2001, she also attended the Duke of Edinburgh’s 80th birthday service in St George’s Chapel.
After their life in Eaton Square, Princess Katherine and her husband relocated to a house in Marlow where they lived for many years.
From 2002 until her death in 2007, she was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
And her house – which comprises 10,616sq foot of space – is certainly one fit for royals.
Marcus O’Brien, head of Beauchamp Estates private office said: ‘This trophy residence is one of just 12 garden facing freehold houses on Eaton Square, which has a total of 118 buildings.
‘The square is the jewel in the crown of the Grosvenor Estate and regarded as one of the best addresses in London.
‘With its illustrious history, beautiful interiors and wonderful entertaining spaces we anticipate that there will be significant domestic and international interest in this unique Belgravia residence.’
