In honor of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Luxury Defined presents a collection of stately residences that have received or been owned by royalty or members of the nobility.
On a rainy day in London, June 2, 1953, a poised young woman, aged just 27, seated on the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey swore to govern an empire. And govern she did. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch and the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking her seven decades of service. Jubilee commemorations culminated in a four-day holiday beginning June 2 with the Queen’s Birthday Parade—Trooping the Colour—at Buckingham Palace. In honor of the Platinum Jubilee, Luxury Defined presents its own collection of royal residences, whose exalted residents and guests have welcomed sultans, dukes, counts, earls, kings, and princes, from HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma to Sir Winston Churchill.
The 8 Homes Fit for a Queen
Hackwood Park in Hampshire, England
Hackwood Park, a magnificent 260-acre estate in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, was the country seat of British nobility for centuries. Its celebrated guests have included Jane Austen and Sir Winston Churchill.
Magnificent Lyford Cay Beachfront Estate in New Providence, Bahamas
Serendip Cove, a magnificent beachfront estate in Lyford Cay, Bahamas, was considered the jewel of the self-made millionaire sportsman Henryk de Kwiatkowski’s real estate holdings. HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, were among the high-profile guests.
Kilmurry House in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Kilmurry House, one of the finest country manors in all of Ireland, was once home to acclaimed Irish painter Mildred Anne Butler, great-granddaughter of Edmund Butler, 11th Viscount Mountgarret.
15th-Century Listed Château in Dordogne, France
This historic estate near Bergerac in Southwestern France was once owned by Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc of Lauzun. The French Duke fought alongside George Washington during the American War of Independence. A commanding officer in the French Revolutionary Wars, his name is honored with an inscription on the Arc de Triomphe.
Sultan’s Palace in Tangier, Morocco
The enchanting white palace in the heart of Tangier was built for Moulay Ismail, Sultan of Morocco, the country’s longest reigning monarch (1672 to 1727). Its domes, hanging gardens and horseshoe arches, typical of classic Moorish architecture, conceal expansive, cool interior spaces.
Château Žinkovy in Pilsen, Czech Republic
Dating from the 12th century, this Neo-Renaissance castle in the Pilsen region of the Czech Republic has been owned by several Bohemian and Austro-German aristocrats over the centuries, including Joseph Franz Maximilian, 7th Prince of Lobkowitz, and Jan Nepomuk Franz, Count of Harrach.
Villa Il Gabbiano in Cala di Volpe, Sardinia, Italy
Designed by architect Luigi Vietti, Villa Il Gabbiano is an exclusive coastal escape on the shores of Piccolo Romazzino, minutes from Pevero Golf Club and the jet-set resort destination of Porto Cervo.
Serendipity in Porto Heli, Greece
The former king of Greece, Constantine II, resided at this glamorous seafront estate in Porto Heli, a cosmopolitan beach resort on the Peloponnese coast.
