This year marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne and began her tenure of unwavering duty to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms. Her majesty is known for having an impressive portfolio of palaces, castles and estates at her and her family’s disposal, but what about the property where her life began? This post takes a look at The Queen’s birthplace; 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair and 145 Piccadilly – two smart London townhouses that no longer exist:
On 26th April 1923 Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, youngest daughter of Lord Glamis (later the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck, set off from her parents’ London townhouse to marry her fiancé, Prince Albert, Duke of York, at Westminster Abbey. Almost three years to the day later, the Duchess of York gave birth to her first child, a girl, in a sunny room on the first floor. For the next ten years the baby would be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York and unexpected to ever see the throne as the niece to the then heir apparent, Edward, The Prince of Wales.
See images of the house, along with a great article all about the house from the BBC, at the webpage here.
After The Duke and Duchess of York welcomed their first child, their royal highnesses moved into a townhouse of their own a few blocks away at 145 Piccadilly. 145 Piccadilly was one of several townhouses on the busy road, with protruding porticoed entrances, four floors, balconies and sizeable rear gardens. Though the property was certainly one of the more “first class” properties in London, it was still considered a modest abode for a senior royal and his two princess daughters. Fellow aristocrats were accustomed to living in homes with names, not numbers, with nearby Apsley House and Spencer House good surviving examples.
At the time of their highnesses incumbency at the address, Great Britain was suffering significant austerity during the Great Depression after The Great War. King George V requested his income be cut and for his sons to reign in their spending. So a ‘modest’ London address for The Duke of York and his family was considered the decent thing to do. The Yorks lived at the property for part of the time, while Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate acted as their idyllic weekend home.
Eventually King George V died, succeeded by his eldest son, King Edward VIII, who remained monarch for a year before abdicating to his brother, The Duke of York. Once Prince Albert became King George VI, the heir apparent shifted to Princess Elizabeth, who went on to live in an array of stunning houses, palaces and castles across Great Britain, first as princess then as Queen Elizabeth II.
See more images of 145 Piccadilly and read more about it at an online article from Hello magazine at their webpage here.
Today, neither 17 Bruton Street nor 145 Piccadilly exist. 17 Bruton Street was demolished shortly before World War Two to make way for new developments, today it is a modern block of offices and restaurants. 145 Piccadilly was damaged during WWII before being taken over by squatters until eventually being torn down. Today 145 Piccadilly forms part of the five star Intercontinental Park Lane hotel opposite Green Park – a short stroll from Buckingham Palace.
images: universal historical archives, wikicommons