Belgravia

[bel-grey-vee-uh]

Belgravia, fashionable residential section of Westminster, London, England. Belgravia surrounds stately Belgrave Square and touches Grosvenor Place on the east.

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Belgravia

Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster, situated to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. Belgravia is approximately bounded by Knightsbridge to the north (the street of that name, not the district), Grosvenor Place and Buckingham Palace Road to the east, Pimlico Road to the south, and Sloane Street to the west. The westernmost streets within this area are in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and can alternatively be considered to be in Knightsbridge and Chelsea.

History

Most of the area was owned by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster, who had it developed from the 1820s. Thomas Cubitt was the main contractor. Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on the Belgrave Square and Eaton Square. It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from the beginning, and remains so to this day. It is a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels, and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.

Notable Residents

Notable residents have included Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin (1867-1947), Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), American philanthropist George Peabody (1795-1869), Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), actress Dame Edith Evans (1888-1976), actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), Beatles' manager Brian Epstein (1934-1967), novelist Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908-1964), actor Sean Connery, actor Roger Moore, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley (1797-1851), Lieutenant Colonel Philip Edward Hardwick (1875-1919) who was the son of the architect Philip Charles Hardwick, and the poet Lord Tennyson (1809-1892). Currently, the area's most famous residents include UK's second richest man Roman Abramovich; the former Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher who lives in Chester Square; the actress and writer Joan Collins, singer-songwriter and actress Sarah Brightman, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, fashion mogul Elle Macpherson, Chief Financial Officer of Arcelor Mittal Aditya Mittal and Lady Helen Taylor, the daughter of the Duke of Kent, celebrity & Royal Solicitor, Fiona Shackleton. It is also the birth place of Lord Randolph Churchill (father of Sir Winston Churchill) and actor Christopher Lee.

After World War II some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, but the new uses were restricted to certain categories, including embassies, charity headquarters and professional institutes. In the early 21st century some of these houses are being reconverted to residential use, as offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a level not seen since at least 1939. Large houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, often costing more than £15 million (about US$32 million in 2006).