BUCKINGHAM PALACE ROAD takes its name from nearby Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and the only royal home named after a subject. The site of the hotel forms part of the grounds and stabling of a much earlier house on this site, once owned by John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave, whose haughty manner earned him the nickname ‘Lord Allpride’. Queen Anne was well-disposed to ‘Lord Allpride’, perhaps because of the mild flirtation in which the pair had indulged when she was a plain and relatively insignificant princess of fifteen. In 1703, a year after coming to the throne, Queen Anne created him Duke of Buckingham. He at once began work on a new house to match his new station in life. Unfortunately, his reluctance to pay his bills meant that progress was very slow; and the architect was only able to extract his fees by tricking Buckingham onto the roof and threatening to throw the pair of them into the courtyard below unless his account was settled immediately - in cash.
When the Duke died his widow lived on in Buckingham House. As haughty and proud as her husband she remarked, after listening to a sermon, that it ‘is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl the earth’. When she lay on her deathbed she exacted a promise from her ladies-in-waiting that none would sit in her presence until her surgeon had pronounced all life extinct. In 1762 her former home was purchased by a young George III who renamed it Buckingham Palace.
This five-star intimate private hideaway in the heart of London comprises 30 luxurious rooms and suites, exceptional levels of comfort, personal butler, 24 hour room service and staff who outnumber guests two to one.
The epitome of luxurious style, the chic black and white design of 41 is enriched by rich mahogany and exquisite furnishings. Guests can enjoy round-the-clock dining and complimentary treats in the residents only Executive Lounge.