The Duchess Of Windsor’s French Riviera Holiday Home Is For Sale

If Wallis Simpson had ever dreamt of being crowned Queen of England, her hopes were dashed long before her wedding day. An American socialite and – most scandalously – twice divorced, her relationship with King Edward VIII posed a threat to the Church of England’s moral code. And so Eddie was left with just two choices: marry the love of his life or give up his claim to the crown. 

Having flung for love over duty, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936 and the couple were married the following June. Despised by the English press and the royal court, the cast-out Windsors were forced across the channel to France, where they were welcomed with open arms. Their main base was in Paris, but like any good Parisian, it was the French Riviera where they spent their summers. And now the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s Cap d’Antibes holiday home is up for grabs – if you have $33.58m to spare. 

Take A Look Inside The Duchess Of Windsor’s Holiday Home

The History

Wallis Simpson first fell for the French Riviera during her visit in the summer of 1934 and soon returned to Cannes just two years later to escape the drama of the 1936 Abdication Crisis. By the time the Windsors had fully settled down in Paris in 1938, they were keen to find a holiday home of their own down south, but finding a property fit for a (former) king was no easy feat. Thankfully, they had an equally luxurious base to hang out in in the meantime: the Hôtel Provençal. 

One of the Riviera’s finest five-star hotels, Hôtel Provençal was built between 1926 and 1927 for the American millionaire Frank Jay Gould and his socialite wife, Florence Gould. As the number one and number two biggest clients of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery house, respectively, Gould and Simpson soon became fast friends, having first met at the bijouterie exhibitions in Paris.

Florence Gould invited Wallis and her husband to stay in the hotel’s VIP suite until they found a place of their own. And once that place (the Château de la Croë) was procured, the couple continued their residence while Lady Sybil Colefax and Lady Elsie Mendl refurbished their new digs. Long after their departure, the couple remained frequent guests of the Goulds’ soirees – both at their private residence, Villa La Vigie, and the Hôtel Provençal where the likes of Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Salvador Dali could be found in attendance. 

The Property Today

Now re-christened Le Provençal, the VIP suite once beloved by the Windsors has been transformed into a luxury, five-bedroom residence named the Villa Jardin. Restored by Caudwell Design – of British billionaire John Caudwell – the interiors draw on the fresh blues, lush greens and warm sunsets of the Riviera landscape, and pull inspiration from the artists most enamoured by the region – think Cy Twombly, Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso – as well as famous former hotel guests such as Coco Chanel, Gould and Simpson.

The suite is part of a wider development of Le Provençal, which spans a total of 35 residences. Beyond the private amenities provided in each suite, residents can enjoy the development’s cinema, health spa, restaurant, children’s playroom, retail boutiques, six-acre gardens and a 30-metre pool. And if that’s not luxury enough, guests also gain access to the concierge, lifestyle services and valet parking at the adjacent five-star Hôtel Belles Rives, as well as privileged reservation to its one-star Michelin restaurant, cocktail bar, spa and private beach club.

Spanning 6,458 sqft of living space and 9,900 sqft of outdoor space, the Windsor suite includes a five-bedroom duplex residence, an interlinked guest house, gardens and a private swimming pool plus pool house complete with a kitchen, bar and shower/changing facilities. 

Welcoming guests in through the grand entrance hall, the Villa Jardin opens up into a tranquil oasis of whites, marble and stained glass. The Duchess of Windsor’s tastes can be felt throughout the home, from her preferred Art Deco style and beloved shade of blue, to the Chinoiserie wallpaper which echoes that used in the Villa Windsor in Paris. Seashell motifs and hand-painted trees draw on the local region, while whispers of Picasso are found throughout – in the sculptural bird cage chandelier, the Paloma lamps with the Picasso dove, and the Picasso-inspired mural on the walls of the guest house.

Beyond the entrance hall, the home leads through to three reception rooms, a double kitchen, a breakfast room, a back-of-house servery, a show kitchen and a chef’s catering kitchen, as well as a cinema room, home office and bar space – inspired by another weekend retreat of the Windsors, The Mill at Tuilerie, where the Duke of Windsor was known to enjoy mixing cocktails in the hidden bar. Connected by both a staircase and passenger lift, the top floor, meanwhile, hosts the bedroom suites, including the dual aspect principal suite complete with four sets of French windows, two bathrooms, two walk-in dressing rooms, a balcony and steps leading to the pool terrace. Elsewhere, the guest house lounge is similarly inspired by the contrasting colours of The Mill, while its gallery space is on hand to display objets d’art.

On the market for $33.58m. Find out more at leprovencal.com