Before she became the Duchess of Edinburgh, or the Countess of Wessex as she was known between 1999 and 2022, Sophie Rhys-Jones lived in Coleherne Court.
The sizable apartment complex known as Coleherne Court is located on Old Brompton Road in the Earl’s Court neighbourhood of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The former locations of Hereford House and Coleherne House are now home to Coleherne Court.
Between 1901 and 1904 is when the building work took place. Portland stone and red brick were used for its construction.
However, Sophie was not the only royal to have ever lived at Coleherne Court. From 1979 to 1981, Lady Diana Spencer resided in Flat 60 at Coleherne Court.
Diana’s great-grandmother, the American heiress Frances Ellen Work, gifted her £50,000 (the equivalent of £269,116 in 2023) as a deposit for the flat.
The future Princess then charged friends £18 per week (the equivalent of £97 in 2023) to use the apartment’s spare bedrooms.
Just before the 1981 announcement of her engagement to Charles, then then-Prince of Wales, Diana left the flat and moved into Clarence House.
When Sophie lived at Coleherne Court, she was preparing for her wedding to Prince Edward which took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in 1999.
The Duchess of Edinburgh moved out soon after, and now she and Edward reside in the vast Bagshot Park estate, which is just a short drive from Windsor Castle.
Sophie’s Surrey mansion, which was a wedding gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II, is leased under the Crown Estate and is estimated to be worth a whopping £30million.
It is distinctly designed in the Tudor Gothic style with its red brick and stone embellishments. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the addition of side and rear extensions.
The home also features a private lake, six stables, and Grade II-listed landscaped gardens.
After renovations, the Prince increased the rent he paid to the Crown Estate from £5,000 per year to £90,000 per year, subject to 15-year rent reviews.
For £5million, Prince Edward has agreed to a 150-year lease extension on the building.
From the rare opportunities cameras have been allowed inside Bagshot Park, fans could see a green carpet and upholstered chairs with green stripes used to furnish one area.
Additionally, the home has numerous antique sideboards, priceless artwork, and a gold-edged mirror above a magnificent marble fireplace. As a private residence, Bagshot Park is off-limits to the general public.
