Famous faces: who’s lived in Knightsbridge?

Who has called Knightsbridge home? We reveal the names of some of the most notable former Knightsbridge residents.

The wealthy and the well-connected tend to make a beeline for Knightsbridge, one of London’s most prestigious residential districts.

And why not? Knightsbridge is defined by its garden squares, stately white stucco terraces, Georgian townhouses, department stores Harvey Nichols and Harrods, Hyde Park, culturally diverse eateries, and generous selection of designer boutiques. The Cadogan Estate and Grosvenor Estate have helped maintain the charm of the area, making sure it doesn’t just become a home for embassy buildings and consulates.

As you may imagine, eminent social reformers, inventors, artists, actors, writers, scientists, and politicians have all made Knightsbridge their home. The list of former residents includes William Wilberforce, the English politician, philanthropist and leading campaigner for the abolition of the slave trade in Britain. A member of Parliament, Wilberforce put forward bills to ban the slave trade, and he lived to see the bill passed.

Actors have also called Knightsbridge home, including Ava Gardner. Gardner lived at 34 Ennismore Gardens between 1968 until her death in 1990. Another actress, Lillie Langtry, once lived at 21 Pont Street.

The roll-call of writers and poets who have lived in Knightsbridge include the novelist and short story writer E.F Benson. Benson lived for a time at 25 Brompton Square, where much of Lucia in London is set, a novel from the celebrated Mapp and Lucia series. Brompton Square also played host to the French poet and critic, Stéphane Mallarmé, who lived at 6 Brompton Square.

Another one-time resident of Brompton Square was the English social reformer, Francis Place. A tailor by profession, Place was a radical activist who campaigned successfully for the repeal of the Combination Act.

42 Rutland Gate was once the home of noted polymath, Sir Francis Galton. Galton was, among other things, a statistician, eugenicist, anthropologist, meteorologist, and inventor of the weather map and the Galton Whistle.

Dennis Gabor lived at 79 Queen’s Gate from 1949 to the early 1960s. A physicist and the inventor of holography, Gabor was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. Another physicist, and an influential figure in the study of thermodynamics, Sir Benjamin Thompson once lived at 168 Brompton Road.

More recently, Knightsbridge pulled in Roman Abramovich, Russian oligarch and owner of the Chelsea Football Club. Abramovich bought multiple luxury apartments in Lowndes Square, close to both Harvey Nichols and Harrods.

American dancer Michael Flatley sold his five-bedroom home in Knightsbridge’s

Montpelier Square for a princely profit only a few years ago, while former Oasis drummer, Alan White, once owned a property in Clabon Mews, near to Cadogan Square. White lived at the property for 10 years before putting it up for sale in 2013.

An impressive selection of properties is available for sale or for let in this part of the capital. Are you considering selling your Knightsbridge property? Contact us today for an accurate valuation of its current market value.

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