Belgravia
Encyclopedia
Belgravia is a district of central London
in the City of Westminster
and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world. The district lies mostly to the south-west of Buckingham Palace
, and is approximately bounded by Knightsbridge
to the north (the street of that name, not the district), Grosvenor Place and Buckingham Palace Road to the east, Pimlico
Road to the south, and Sloane Street
to the west.
's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave. The village of Belgrave, Cheshire
is two miles (3 km) from the Grosvenor family's main country seat of Eaton Hall
.
Most of the area was owned by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster
, who had it developed from the 1820s. Thomas Cubitt
was the main contractor. Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on Belgrave Square
and Eaton Square
. It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from the beginning, and remains so to this day. It is a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels, and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.
After World War II some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, but the new uses were restricted to certain categories, including embassies, charity headquarters and professional institutions. In the early 21st century some of these houses are being reconverted to residential use, as offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a level not seen since at least 1939. The average house cost in Belgravia as of March 2010 is £6.6 million, although many houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £100 million, £4,671 per square foot.
Belgrave Square
, one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares is the centrepiece of Belgravia. It was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt
for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor
, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied by 1840. The square takes its name from one of the Duke of Westminster
's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave.
The original scheme consisted of four terraces, each made up of eleven grand white stuccoed houses, apart from the south east terrace, which has twelve; detached mansions in three of the corners; and a private central garden. The numbering is clockwise from the north: NW terrace Nos. 1 to 11; west corner mansion No. 12; SW terrace 13-23; south corner mansion No. 24; SE terrace Nos. 25-36; east corner mansion No. 37; NE terrace Nos. 38-48. There is also slightly later detached house at the northern corner, No. 49, which was built in by Cubitt for Sidney Herbert in 1851. The terraces were designed by George Basevi
and are possibly the grandest houses ever built in London on a speculative basis. The largest of the corner mansions, Seaford House
in the east corner, was designed by Philip Hardwick
, and the one in the west corner was designed by Robert Smirke
. The square features statues of Christopher Columbus
, Simón Bolívar
, José de San Martín
, Prince Henry the Navigator, and the 1st Marquess of Westminster, a bust of George Basevi
, and a sculpture entitled Homage to Leonardo, the Vitruvian Man, by Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta
.
Eaton Square
is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family, and is named after Eaton Hall
, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire
. Eaton Square is larger but less grand than the central feature of the district, Belgrave Square, and both larger and grander than Chester Square
. The first block was laid out by Thomas Cubitt from 1827.
The houses in Eaton Square are large, predominantly three bay wide buildings, joined in regular terraces in a classical style, with four or five main storeys, plus attic and basement and a mews house behind. The square is one of London's largest and is divided into six compartments by the upper end of Kings Road
(northeast of Sloane Square
), a main road, now busy with traffic, that occupies its long axis, and two smaller cross streets. Most of the houses are faced with white stucco
, but some are faced with brick.
Before World War II Eaton Square was a securely upper class
address, but not of the grandeur of London's very grandest addresses in Mayfair
and Belgravia: Belgrave Square
, Grosvenor Square
, St James's Square or Park Lane
. However, after World War II, when those places were converted to mainly commercial and institutional use, Eaton Square remained almost wholly residential and rose to the front rank of fashionable addresses. Some of the houses remain undivided, but much of the square has been converted into flats and maisonettes by the Grosvenor Estate. These are often lateral conversions, that is they cut across more than one of the original houses, and they usually cost several million pounds. The exterior appearance of the square remains as it was when it was built, with no intrusive modern buildings. Most but not all of the freeholds still belong to the Grosvenor Group, and the present Duke of Westminster
has his own London home in the square - an illustration of the migrations of the London elite already mentioned, as up until the 1920s his predecessors lived in a detached mansion on the site of the present Grosvenor House Hotel
in Park Lane.
At the east end of the square is St Peter's, a large Church of England
church, in a classical style, which features a six-columned Ionic portico
and a clock tower. It was designed by Henry Hakewill
and built between 1824 and 1827 during the first development of Eaton Square.
to the north east corner of Eaton Square
. Particularly imposing are Nos 6, 7 and 8. They are very attractive with unrivalled views down the length of Eaton Place.
Upper Belgrave Street is an exclusive and highly desired address, home to some of the most expensive properties in the world. It has some very large houses, as large as those in Eaton Square
itself. Most of the houses have now been divided into flats and achieve sale prices as high as £3500 per square foot.
Many of the buildings were constructed by Thomas Cubitt
in the 1820s and 1830s. No. 13 was built for an illegitimate child of William IV
.
Like Belgravia itself, Upper Belgrave Street was named after Belgrave
, a village near Leicester
owned by the Grosvenor
family.
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) lived at No 12 in 1880 - 1. Walter Bagehot
(1826–1877), writer, banker and economist, lived at No 9 at some point.
is a small, residential garden square, the last of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family. Chester Square is named after the city of Chester
, near to which Eaton Hall
– the ancestral home of the Grosvenor family – is situated. The garden, just under 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) in size, is planted with shrub and herbaceous borders. It was refurbished in 1997 to the layout that appears in the Ordnance Survey map of 1867. Past residents include the poet Matthew Arnold
(1822–88) at No. 2, and Mary Shelley
(1797–1851) at No. 24.
was created by Thomas Cundy II, the Grosvenor family Estate surveyor and was drawn up with the original 1821 Wyatt plan for Belgravia. It is named after the 2nd Earl of Wilton
, second son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster. The street was built in 1825 by William Howard Seth-Smith
.
In the 19th and 20th century it was home to many prominent British politicians, ambassadors and civil servants. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
(1900–1979) lived at 2 Wilton Crescent for many years. Today there is a blue plaque
on the house marking it. Like much of Belgravia, Wilton Crescent is characterised by grand terraces with lavish white houses which are built in a crescent shape, many of them with stuccoed balconies, particularly on the southern part of the crescent. The houses to the north of the crescent are stone clad and five stories high and were refaced between 1908 and 1912. Most of the houses had originally been built in the stucco style but such houses became stone clad during this renovation period. Other houses today have black iron balconies.
Wilton Crescent lies east of Lowndes Square
and Lowndes Street, to the northwest of Belgrave Square
. It is accessed via Wilton Place which connects it to the main road in Knightsbridge. It is adjacent to Grosvenor Crescent to the east, which contains the Indonesian Embassy. Further to the east lies Buckingham Palace
. The play Major Barbara
is partly set at Lady Britomart's house in Wilton Crescent. Wilton Crescent in nearby Alderley Edge which is home to the Sue Morris School of Ballet. In 2007 Wilton Garden in the middle of the crescent won a bronze medal by the London Gardens Society.
, like much of Belgravia, is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. To the east lies Wilton Crescent and Belgrave Square. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street
to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols
store and Knightsbridge tube station
. It is home to some of the most expensive properties in the world. Russian businessman, Roman Abramovich
bought two stucco houses in Lowndes Square in 2008 and was once completed the merged house with a total of eight bedrooms is expected to be worth £150 million, exceeding the value of the previous most expensive house in London.George Basevi
designed many of the houses in the square. Mick Jagger
and James Fox
once filmed in Leonard Plugge's house in Lowndes Square. The square was used as a setting in the Edward Frederic Benson
novel The Countess of Lowndes Square.
, Knightsbridge
and Sloane Square
. London Victoria station, a major National Rail
, tube and coach interchange, is to the east of the district. Regular bus services run to all areas of London from Grosvenor Place.
(1815–1882): The Way We Live Now
, Phineas Finn
, Phineas Redux
, The Prime Minister
, or The Duke's Children
. Other novels by this author also contain scenes in Belgravia.
In Brideshead Revisited
, a novel by Evelyn Waugh
, Belgravia's Pont Street
is eponymous with the idiosyncrasies of the British upper classes. Julia, one of the main protagonists, tells her friends, "It was Pont Street to wear a signet ring and to give chocolates at the theatre; it was Pont Street to say, 'Can I forage for you?' at a dance."
In Love in a Cold Climate
, Nancy Mitford
's magnum opus, the heroine's aunt, who is raising her to mix in the best society, is said to "keep her nose firmly to Pont Street".
Flunkeyania; or, Belgravian Morals is one of the novels serialized in The Pearl, a Victorian magazine.
In the hit British television series Upstairs, Downstairs
(1971–1975), the programme is set in the household of Richard Bellamy (later 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham) at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia. It depicted the lives of the Bellamys and their staff of domestic servants in the years 1903–1930 as they experience the tumultuous events of the Edwardian era, World War I and the postwar 1920's, culminating with the stock market crash of 1929 and the end of the world they had known. In 2010, filming began on a mini-series intended to pick up the story of one of the main characters Rose Buck in 1936, as she returns to 165 Eaton Place to serve the Holland Family as the housekeeper
.
(1867–1947), Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain (1869–1940), American philanthropist George Peabody
(1795–1869), Polish composer Frédéric Chopin
(1810–1849), Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756–1791), actress Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976), actress Vivien Leigh
(1913–1967), Beatles' manager Brian Epstein
(1934–1967), novelist Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908–1964), actor Sir Sean Connery
, actor Sir Roger Moore
, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley
(1797–1851), the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Lieutenant Colonel Philip Edward Hardwick (1875–1919) who was the son of the architect Philip Charles Hardwick
, and anatomist Henry Gray
, author of Gray's Anatomy
.
Currently, the area's most famous residents include UK's second richest man Roman Abramovich
in Lowndes Square
; Britain's longest recent Prime Minister The Rt Hon. Lady Thatcher
who lives in Chester Square
; former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
's son Gamal Mubarak
in Wilton Place; the actress and writer Joan Collins
who lives in Eaton Place, singer-songwriter and actress Sarah Brightman
, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
, celebrity cook Nigella Lawson
, fashion mogul Elle Macpherson
, Chief Financial Officer of Arcelor Mittal Aditya Mittal
, actress Jennifer Saunders
, Lawrence
of pop groups Felt
and Denim
, and Lady Helen Taylor
, the daughter of the HRH The Duke of Kent
, celebrity & Royal Solicitor, Fiona Shackleton
. It is also the birth place of Lord Randolph Churchill
(father of Sir Winston Churchill
), Mitford sister Diana Mosley and actor Sir Christopher Lee.
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
in the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world. The district lies mostly to the south-west of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, and is approximately bounded by Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
to the north (the street of that name, not the district), Grosvenor Place and Buckingham Palace Road to the east, Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
Road to the south, and Sloane Street
Sloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
to the west.
History
The area takes its name from one of the Duke of WestminsterDuke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave. The village of Belgrave, Cheshire
Belgrave, Cheshire
Belgrave is a historical village at the entrance to Eaton Hall in Cheshire, United Kingdom. Today it basically consists of a few houses and a large thriving Grosvenor Garden Centre. The Centre is situated on the edge of Eaton Park within the Eaton Estate...
is two miles (3 km) from the Grosvenor family's main country seat of Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall (Cheshire)
Eaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster. It is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, in Cheshire, England . The house is surrounded by formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland. The estate covers an area of about .The first substantial house was...
.
Most of the area was owned by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster
Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster
Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster KG, PC , styled Viscount Belgrave from 1802 to 1831 and Earl Belgrave from 1831 to 1845, was an English politician, landowner, property developer and benefactor....
, who had it developed from the 1820s. Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
was the main contractor. Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
and Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
. It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from the beginning, and remains so to this day. It is a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels, and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.
After World War II some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, but the new uses were restricted to certain categories, including embassies, charity headquarters and professional institutions. In the early 21st century some of these houses are being reconverted to residential use, as offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a level not seen since at least 1939. The average house cost in Belgravia as of March 2010 is £6.6 million, although many houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £100 million, £4,671 per square foot.
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
, one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares is the centrepiece of Belgravia. It was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster, KG was the son of the 1st Earl Grosvenor, whom he succeeded in 1802 as 2nd Earl Grosvenor. He was created Marquess of Westminster in 1831. He was an English Member of Parliament and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster...
, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied by 1840. The square takes its name from one of the Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave.
The original scheme consisted of four terraces, each made up of eleven grand white stuccoed houses, apart from the south east terrace, which has twelve; detached mansions in three of the corners; and a private central garden. The numbering is clockwise from the north: NW terrace Nos. 1 to 11; west corner mansion No. 12; SW terrace 13-23; south corner mansion No. 24; SE terrace Nos. 25-36; east corner mansion No. 37; NE terrace Nos. 38-48. There is also slightly later detached house at the northern corner, No. 49, which was built in by Cubitt for Sidney Herbert in 1851. The terraces were designed by George Basevi
George Basevi
Elias George Basevi FRS was an English architect. He was the favourite pupil of Sir John Soane.-Life:Basevi was the youngest son of a City of London merchant, also named George Basevi...
and are possibly the grandest houses ever built in London on a speculative basis. The largest of the corner mansions, Seaford House
Seaford House
Seaford House, originally called Sefton House, is one of the grandest surviving aristocratic mansions in London, England. It is the largest of the three detached houses which occupy three corners of Belgrave Square in the exclusive district of Belgravia...
in the east corner, was designed by Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick was an eminent English architect, particularly associated with railway stations and warehouses in London and elsewhere...
, and the one in the west corner was designed by Robert Smirke
Robert Smirke (architect)
Sir Robert Smirke was an English architect, one of the leaders of Greek Revival architecture his best known building in that style is the British Museum, though he also designed using other architectural styles...
. The square features statues of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
, Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
, Prince Henry the Navigator, and the 1st Marquess of Westminster, a bust of George Basevi
George Basevi
Elias George Basevi FRS was an English architect. He was the favourite pupil of Sir John Soane.-Life:Basevi was the youngest son of a City of London merchant, also named George Basevi...
, and a sculpture entitled Homage to Leonardo, the Vitruvian Man, by Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta
Enzo Plazzotta
Enzo Plazzotta was an Italian-born British sculptor.He was born in Mestre, near Venice, and spent his working life in London...
.
Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family, and is named after Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall may refer to:* Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England, a private country house owned by the Duke of Westminster* Eaton Hall in King City, Ontario, Canada, a Norman-style chateau converted to a public hotel...
, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Eaton Square is larger but less grand than the central feature of the district, Belgrave Square, and both larger and grander than Chester Square
Chester Square
Chester Square is a small, residential garden square located in London's Belgravia district. Along with its sister squares Belgrave Square and Eaton Square, it is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century.Chester...
. The first block was laid out by Thomas Cubitt from 1827.
The houses in Eaton Square are large, predominantly three bay wide buildings, joined in regular terraces in a classical style, with four or five main storeys, plus attic and basement and a mews house behind. The square is one of London's largest and is divided into six compartments by the upper end of Kings Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
(northeast of Sloane Square
Sloane Square
Sloane Square is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the fashionable London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of Charing Cross, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The square is part of the Hans Town area designed in 1771 by Henry...
), a main road, now busy with traffic, that occupies its long axis, and two smaller cross streets. Most of the houses are faced with white stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, but some are faced with brick.
Before World War II Eaton Square was a securely upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
address, but not of the grandeur of London's very grandest addresses in Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
and Belgravia: Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
, Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London, England. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from their surname, "Grosvenor".-History:...
, St James's Square or Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
. However, after World War II, when those places were converted to mainly commercial and institutional use, Eaton Square remained almost wholly residential and rose to the front rank of fashionable addresses. Some of the houses remain undivided, but much of the square has been converted into flats and maisonettes by the Grosvenor Estate. These are often lateral conversions, that is they cut across more than one of the original houses, and they usually cost several million pounds. The exterior appearance of the square remains as it was when it was built, with no intrusive modern buildings. Most but not all of the freeholds still belong to the Grosvenor Group, and the present Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
has his own London home in the square - an illustration of the migrations of the London elite already mentioned, as up until the 1920s his predecessors lived in a detached mansion on the site of the present Grosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House is a large and luxurious hotel. The iconic Mayfair, London hotel is owned by the Sahara Group. The name has also been licensed to a property in Dubai....
in Park Lane.
At the east end of the square is St Peter's, a large Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church, in a classical style, which features a six-columned Ionic portico
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
and a clock tower. It was designed by Henry Hakewill
Henry Hakewill
Henry Hakewill was an English architect.He designed two distinguished Greek Revival buildings:*Coed Coch, Denbighshire, Wales , a country-house with a diagonally placed portico and stair...
and built between 1824 and 1827 during the first development of Eaton Square.
Upper Belgrave Street
Upper Belgrave Street is a wide one-way residential street graced with a series of very grand and imposing white stuccoed buildings. It stretches from the south east corner of Belgrave SquareBelgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
to the north east corner of Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
. Particularly imposing are Nos 6, 7 and 8. They are very attractive with unrivalled views down the length of Eaton Place.
Upper Belgrave Street is an exclusive and highly desired address, home to some of the most expensive properties in the world. It has some very large houses, as large as those in Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
itself. Most of the houses have now been divided into flats and achieve sale prices as high as £3500 per square foot.
Many of the buildings were constructed by Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
in the 1820s and 1830s. No. 13 was built for an illegitimate child of William IV
William IV
William IV may refer to:* William IV of the United Kingdom * William IV, Duke of Aquitaine * William IV of Provence * William, Margrave of Meissen , also William IV of Weimar* William IV, Count of Toulouse William IV may refer to:* William IV of the United Kingdom (1765–1837)* William IV, Duke of...
.
Like Belgravia itself, Upper Belgrave Street was named after Belgrave
Belgrave
-People with the surname Belgrave:*Barrington Belgrave*Charles Belgrave, a British adviser to the rulers of Bahrain from 1926 to 1957*James Belgrave*John Belgrave*Marcus Belgrave-Other:*Belgrave, Cheshire, a village*Belgrave, Lancashire, a village...
, a village near Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
owned by the Grosvenor
Grosvenor
-Baronets/Marquesses/Dukes of Westminster::*Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet *Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Baronet , son of 1st baronet*Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet , grandson of 2nd baronet...
family.
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) lived at No 12 in 1880 - 1. Walter Bagehot
Walter Bagehot
Walter Bagehot was an English businessman, essayist, and journalist who wrote extensively about literature, government, and economic affairs.-Early years:...
(1826–1877), writer, banker and economist, lived at No 9 at some point.
Chester Square
Chester SquareChester Square
Chester Square is a small, residential garden square located in London's Belgravia district. Along with its sister squares Belgrave Square and Eaton Square, it is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century.Chester...
is a small, residential garden square, the last of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family. Chester Square is named after the city of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, near to which Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall may refer to:* Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England, a private country house owned by the Duke of Westminster* Eaton Hall in King City, Ontario, Canada, a Norman-style chateau converted to a public hotel...
– the ancestral home of the Grosvenor family – is situated. The garden, just under 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) in size, is planted with shrub and herbaceous borders. It was refurbished in 1997 to the layout that appears in the Ordnance Survey map of 1867. Past residents include the poet Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
(1822–88) at No. 2, and Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
(1797–1851) at No. 24.
Wilton Crescent
Wilton CrescentWilton Crescent
Wilton Crescent is a wealthy community in Belgravia, London.Wilton Crescent was created by Thomas Cundy II, the Grosvenor family Estate surveyor and was drawn up with the original 1821 Wyatt plan for Belgravia...
was created by Thomas Cundy II, the Grosvenor family Estate surveyor and was drawn up with the original 1821 Wyatt plan for Belgravia. It is named after the 2nd Earl of Wilton
Earl of Wilton
Earl of Wilton, of Wilton Castle in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Grey de Wilton, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Grey de Wilton, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
, second son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster. The street was built in 1825 by William Howard Seth-Smith
William Howard Seth-Smith
William Howard Seth-Smith may refer to:*William Howard Seth-Smith I, made family fortune by building some of the most expensive residences in Knightsbridge*William Howard Seth-Smith III -noted for his building of schools and churches in Surrey...
.
In the 19th and 20th century it was home to many prominent British politicians, ambassadors and civil servants. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
(1900–1979) lived at 2 Wilton Crescent for many years. Today there is a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
on the house marking it. Like much of Belgravia, Wilton Crescent is characterised by grand terraces with lavish white houses which are built in a crescent shape, many of them with stuccoed balconies, particularly on the southern part of the crescent. The houses to the north of the crescent are stone clad and five stories high and were refaced between 1908 and 1912. Most of the houses had originally been built in the stucco style but such houses became stone clad during this renovation period. Other houses today have black iron balconies.
Wilton Crescent lies east of Lowndes Square
Lowndes Square
Lowndes Square is an upmarket residential community in Belgravia, London. Like much of Belgravia it is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols store and Knightsbridge tube station. It is home to...
and Lowndes Street, to the northwest of Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
. It is accessed via Wilton Place which connects it to the main road in Knightsbridge. It is adjacent to Grosvenor Crescent to the east, which contains the Indonesian Embassy. Further to the east lies Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. The play Major Barbara
Major Barbara (play)
Major Barbara is a three act play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907.-Setting:*London*Act I: Lady Britomart's house in Wilton Crescent*Act II: The Salvation Army shelter in West Ham...
is partly set at Lady Britomart's house in Wilton Crescent. Wilton Crescent in nearby Alderley Edge which is home to the Sue Morris School of Ballet. In 2007 Wilton Garden in the middle of the crescent won a bronze medal by the London Gardens Society.
Lowndes Square
Lowndes SquareLowndes Square
Lowndes Square is an upmarket residential community in Belgravia, London. Like much of Belgravia it is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols store and Knightsbridge tube station. It is home to...
, like much of Belgravia, is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. To the east lies Wilton Crescent and Belgrave Square. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street
Sloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
store and Knightsbridge tube station
Knightsbridge tube station
Knightsbridge tube station is a London Underground station in Knightsbridge , The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is on the Piccadilly Line between South Kensington and Hyde Park Corner, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
. It is home to some of the most expensive properties in the world. Russian businessman, Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
bought two stucco houses in Lowndes Square in 2008 and was once completed the merged house with a total of eight bedrooms is expected to be worth £150 million, exceeding the value of the previous most expensive house in London.George Basevi
George Basevi
Elias George Basevi FRS was an English architect. He was the favourite pupil of Sir John Soane.-Life:Basevi was the youngest son of a City of London merchant, also named George Basevi...
designed many of the houses in the square. Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and James Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
once filmed in Leonard Plugge's house in Lowndes Square. The square was used as a setting in the Edward Frederic Benson
Edward Frederic Benson
Edward Frederic Benson was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist and short story writer, known professionally as E.F. Benson. His friends called him Fred.-Life:E.F...
novel The Countess of Lowndes Square.
Nearest stations
The nearest London Underground stations are Hyde Park CornerHyde Park Corner tube station
Hyde Park Corner is a London Underground station near Hyde Park Corner in Hyde Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 1, between Knightsbridge and Green Park on the Piccadilly Line.-History:...
, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge tube station
Knightsbridge tube station is a London Underground station in Knightsbridge , The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is on the Piccadilly Line between South Kensington and Hyde Park Corner, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
and Sloane Square
Sloane Square tube station
Sloane Square is a London Underground station in Sloane Square, in the Chelsea district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is served by the District and Circle Lines and is between South Kensington and Victoria. It is in Travelcard Zone 1....
. London Victoria station, a major National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
, tube and coach interchange, is to the east of the district. Regular bus services run to all areas of London from Grosvenor Place.
Belgravia in literature and popular culture
For true-to-life descriptions of the inhabitants of nineteenth century Belgravia and their way of life, read the following novels by Anthony TrollopeAnthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire...
(1815–1882): The Way We Live Now
The Way We Live Now
The Way We Live Now is a satirical novel published in London in 1875 by Anthony Trollope, after a popular serialisation. In 1872 Trollope returned to England from abroad and was appalled by the greed which was loose in the land. His scolding rebuke was his longest novel.Containing over a hundred...
, Phineas Finn
Phineas Finn
Phineas Finn is a novel by Anthony Trollope and the name of its leading character. The novel was first published as a monthly serial from October 1867 to May 1868 in St Paul's Magazine. It is the second of the "Palliser" series of novels...
, Phineas Redux
Phineas Redux
Phineas Redux is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1873 as a serial in The Graphic. It is the fourth of the "Palliser" series of novels and the sequel to the second book of the series, Phineas Finn.-Synopsis:...
, The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1876. It is the fifth of the "Palliser" series of novels.-Synopsis:...
, or The Duke's Children
The Duke's Children
The Duke's Children is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1879 as a serial in All the Year Round. It is the sixth and final novel of the "Palliser" series.-Synopsis:...
. Other novels by this author also contain scenes in Belgravia.
In Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
, a novel by Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
, Belgravia's Pont Street
Pont Street
Pont Street is a fashionable street in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, central London, England, not far from the Knightsbridge department store Harrods to the north-west. The street crosses Sloane Street in the middle, with Beauchamp Place to the west and Cadogan Place, and Chesham Place, to the east,...
is eponymous with the idiosyncrasies of the British upper classes. Julia, one of the main protagonists, tells her friends, "It was Pont Street to wear a signet ring and to give chocolates at the theatre; it was Pont Street to say, 'Can I forage for you?' at a dance."
In Love in a Cold Climate
Love in a Cold Climate
Love in a Cold Climate is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1949. The title is a direct quotation from George Orwell's novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying .-Plot summary:...
, Nancy Mitford
Nancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
's magnum opus, the heroine's aunt, who is raising her to mix in the best society, is said to "keep her nose firmly to Pont Street".
Flunkeyania; or, Belgravian Morals is one of the novels serialized in The Pearl, a Victorian magazine.
In the hit British television series Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
(1971–1975), the programme is set in the household of Richard Bellamy (later 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham) at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia. It depicted the lives of the Bellamys and their staff of domestic servants in the years 1903–1930 as they experience the tumultuous events of the Edwardian era, World War I and the postwar 1920's, culminating with the stock market crash of 1929 and the end of the world they had known. In 2010, filming began on a mini-series intended to pick up the story of one of the main characters Rose Buck in 1936, as she returns to 165 Eaton Place to serve the Holland Family as the housekeeper
Housekeeper
Housekeeper may refer to:* Housekeeper , a woman heading up domestic maintenance* Maid, a female with various domestic duties* Janitor, a person responsible for institutional maintenance* A person engaged in housekeeping...
.
Notable residents
Notable residents have included Prime Minister Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
(1867–1947), Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain (1869–1940), American philanthropist George Peabody
George Peabody
George Peabody was an American-British entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Peabody Trust in Britain and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and was responsible for many other charitable initiatives.-Biography:...
(1795–1869), Polish composer Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
(1810–1849), Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
(1756–1791), actress Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976), actress Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
(1913–1967), Beatles' manager Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
(1934–1967), novelist Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908–1964), actor Sir Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, actor Sir Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
(1797–1851), the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Lieutenant Colonel Philip Edward Hardwick (1875–1919) who was the son of the architect Philip Charles Hardwick
Philip Charles Hardwick
-Life:Philip Charles Hardwick was a notable English architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval art"...
, and anatomist Henry Gray
Henry Gray
Henry Gray was an English anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book Gray's Anatomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the age of 25.-Biography:...
, author of Gray's Anatomy
Gray's Anatomy
Gray's Anatomy is an English-language human anatomy textbook originally written by Henry Gray. The book is widely regarded as an extremely influential work on the subject, and has continued to be revised and republished from its initial publication in 1858 to the present day...
.
Currently, the area's most famous residents include UK's second richest man Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
in Lowndes Square
Lowndes Square
Lowndes Square is an upmarket residential community in Belgravia, London. Like much of Belgravia it is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols store and Knightsbridge tube station. It is home to...
; Britain's longest recent Prime Minister The Rt Hon. Lady Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
who lives in Chester Square
Chester Square
Chester Square is a small, residential garden square located in London's Belgravia district. Along with its sister squares Belgrave Square and Eaton Square, it is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century.Chester...
; former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
's son Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
in Wilton Place; the actress and writer Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
who lives in Eaton Place, singer-songwriter and actress Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, celebrity cook Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. Lawson is the daughter of Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Vanessa Salmon, whose family owned the J. Lyons and Co. empire...
, fashion mogul Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
, Chief Financial Officer of Arcelor Mittal Aditya Mittal
Aditya Mittal
Aditya Mittal is a CFO, Responsible for Flat Americas, Mergers and Acquisitions , Investor Relations, Strategy and Communications of the world's largest steel firm ArcelorMittal, which is controlled by his father Lakshmi Mittal, who was ranked the fifth richest person in the world by Forbes in...
, actress Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
, Lawrence
Lawrence Hayward
Lawrence Hayward , known simply as Lawrence, his surname never used in credits or press, is best known as the singer, songwriter and guitarist of British indie band Felt.-Felt:...
of pop groups Felt
Felt (band)
Felt were a 1980s British alternative rock band led by Lawrence, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus"...
and Denim
Denim (band)
Denim is an American band based in Austin, Texas formed in 1970. 1980 saw some members of Denim join in a different project, "The Austin All-Stars". The All-Stars were a premiere party band in Austin, playing at the Steamboat on 6th street regularly...
, and Lady Helen Taylor
Lady Helen Taylor
The Lady Helen Taylor A first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II, she is a great-granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and is in the line of succession to the British throne....
, the daughter of the HRH The Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
The Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
, celebrity & Royal Solicitor, Fiona Shackleton
Fiona Shackleton
Fiona Shackleton, Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia LVO is an English solicitor, who has represented members of the British Royal Family and celebrities, including Sir Paul McCartney and The Duke of York...
. It is also the birth place of Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
(father of Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
), Mitford sister Diana Mosley and actor Sir Christopher Lee.