Duchess Sophie carries spring flowers and wears a grey blazer in London

Duchess Sophie's chic £4.5m London flat where Princess Diana lived - details

The Duchess of Edinburgh once lived at Coleherne Court, where the late Princess of Wales once lived

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
February 15, 2024

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh currently live in one of the UK's largest royal residences.

Bagshot Park, which they share with their two children Lady Louise Windsor, 20, and James, Earl of Wessex, 16, is set within 51 acres of the idyllic Surrey countryside, and is believed to have a whopping 120 rooms. 

The grand property is worlds away from Duchess Sophie's former London flat in Coleherne Court, however. 

Sophie Rhys-jones Arriving At Her Office With Police Guard In London W1© Steve Back/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
Sophie Rhys-Jones lived in a swish London bachelorette pad before marrying Prince Edward

The former PR executive, who first caught Prince Edward's eye when she was working on the public relations for the prince's Real Tennis Challenge event, lived in the highly-regarded period mansion block before she tied the knot in 1999.

Sophie's lavish apartment would have been - and likely still is - every London girl's dream first property, located on Old Brompton Road in the Earl's Court neighbourhood of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Duchess Sophie isn't the first royal to have lived in the highly-exclusive postcode. The late Princess Diana also lived at Flat 60, Coleherne Court from 1979 to 1981. 

© Princess Diana Archive
Princess Diana leaving her flat at Coleherne Court in Earl's Court, London, 12th November 1980.

Her deposit on the flat came from the £50,000 (equivalent to £317,032.72 in 2024) that was left to her by her great-grandmother, the American heiress Frances Ellen Work.

Despite being just four years apart in age, and both falling in love with royal princes, Sophie and Diana's differing career timelines meant they were never actually neighbours at the SW3 property. 

© Tim Graham
Lady Diana's Mini Metro outside her flat at Coleherne Court

Nowadays, prospective buyers can expect to spend several millions on an apartment in the complex, which boasts an award-winning communal garden. 

A four-bedroom, two-bathroom flat is currently listed on Chestertons for £4,350,000. While a three-bredoom, two-bathroom ground floor home is going for £2,500,000. 

© Tim Graham
Duchess Sophie and Princess Diana both lived at Coleherne Court

According to Rightmove, a property with direct access to Coleherne Court’s award-winning communal gardens is an opportunity which "only comes onto the sales market once every 20 years on average."

Residents can benefit from a 24-hour concierge and in-house management and are also invited to the heartwarming residents' summer and Christmas parties in the gardens.

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