It’s official, Villa Windsor should be a museum and open its doors by 2024. If the Villa was occupied by General de Gaulle between 1944 and 1946, it is best known for having hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, one of the most sulfurous couples of their time.
The extremely worldly couple has organized many receptions and crazy parties.
King Edward VIII abdicates so he can marry Wallis Simpson, a married and twice-divorced American commoner. Replaced by his brother, George VI, father of the future Elizabeth II, the latter forbade him to stay at Fort Belvedere, his residence located in Surrey, which he adored. The couple, therefore, moved to Paris, first to a house on Boulevard Suchet and then to Villa in 1953.
They entrust the decoration to Stéphane Boudin, director of the Janser house, who had already redesigned the private apartments of Duke Edward VII at Buckingham Palace.
After the couple died in 1972 and 1986, the villa was bought by an Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed. He decides to restore everything and part with all the furniture acquired by the Windsors. Sotheby’s took care of dispersing the 40,000 pieces across 3,200 lots at an auction in March 1998.
10 years later, a “royal” walks through the door of the villa again. This is Lady Diana, divorced from Charles, she is thinking of settling there with Dodi, the son of Mohamed Al-Fayed. The couple stays there for an hour, the time to go around the villa before going to the Ritz. Diana and Dodi will never settle there, both succumb to their injuries the following night after the car accident which occurred under the Pont de l’Alma.
The auction of the house
The auction by Sotheby’s of the furniture from the Windsor couple’s villa ended on March 2nd, 1998 in New York.
Savvy merchants and collectors have spent more than 140 million francs to share 40,000 pieces in 3,200 lots and 18 sessions.
30,000 people had visited the exhibition before the sale. The famous desk on which Edward VII signed his abdication for love of Wallis went for 2.5 million francs, the portrait of the Duchess sketched by Cecil Beaton exceeded one million, and the highlight of the sale is a portrait of Duke’s Equestrian by Alfred Munnings which fetched 14 million francs.
The proceeds from the sale were to be donated to the foundation of businessman Mohamed Al-fayed, but after the tragic death of his son, he decided to distribute them to projects supported by Princess Diana and Dodi -Al Fayed during their lifetime. A way to link their names forever.
