Fit for a Duchess

The elegant Eaton Place townhouse of Lily Spencer-Churchill, Dowager Duchess of Marlborough, comes to the market for £18,000,000. The townhouse offers unrivalled living space with luxury original details in the heart of Belgravia. Abode2 takes a look around and at the history surrounding this grand, luxury home.

Lily lived at the Belgravia townhouse ahead of her engagement to the 11^th Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill, on 3^rd December 2008 in the private chapel of Blenheim Palace. Following the wedding, the couple then lived at Blenheim Palace, with its 187 rooms and 2,000-acre park, an exceptional example of English Baroque architecture.

The Eaton Place townhouse forms part of the grand terrace built by master builder Thomas Cubitt and his brother Lewis Cubitt, with work started in 1826 and the eastern terrace finished by 1835. The terrace is said to have been a favourite of Thomas, who had his office at nine different properties between 1828 and 1847.

With high ceilings and ornate original cornicing throughout, the townhouse is the ideal family home. Set over five floors, the townhouse offers 6,250 square foot of extensive living space, inclusive of nine bedrooms, seven of which are en-suite, family kitchen, two kitchenettes, two gardens and a private covered terrace.

On the ground floor is a spacious dual-aspect dining room, with an ornate fireplace and Georgian sash windows overlooking the sought-after street and towards the private rear garden. There is a family kitchen with bespoke cabinetry and a pantry on a mezzanine level, an impressive living space with the high ceilings and sash windows letting in an abundance of natural light.

The first floor provides a bright lounge which opens onto a dining area and kitchenette, leading out to a large covered private terrace for al fresco dining or entertaining. The Principal bedroom suite occupies the entire second floor, with dual aspect windows and a marble-clad en-suite bathroom. The upper floors provide a further four guest bedrooms with a secondary kitchenette.

The lower ground floor offers a further three guest bedrooms which could be used as staff accommodation. There are two separate garden areas, as well as extensive fitted storage space.

Gary Hersham, Founding Director of Beauchamp Estates commented: “32 Eaton Place is a wonderful townhouse in the heart of Belgravia. The townhouse provides extensive living space with flexibility if a buyer wanted to use one of the many guest bedrooms as a home study or library for instance. With beautiful original details such as ornate fireplaces preserved throughout, this townhouse is of an exceptional calibre.”

The late 11^th Duke of Marlborough was John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, known as ‘Sunny’ following his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland, who passed in 2014. He is credited with having transformed Blenheim Palace during the 1980s, investing in restoration work and diversifying the estate. Sunny and Lily met on holiday in Sardinia in 2007.

Eaton Place is for sale with sole agent Beauchamp Estates for £18,000,000. For further information please contact Beauchamp Estates on 020 7499 7722 or visit www.beauchamp.com.