The four-storey, Georgian-style London-based property is owned by the late Princess of Wales’ parents, John and Raine Spencer.
Known as the father and stepmother of the late Princess Diana, the home’s price of GDP 10.95 million (approximately USD 13.9 million) has come to market. Situated in the swanky precinct of Mayfair, the home was a regular haunt for the late Princess of Wales.
In 1990, the five-bedroom Georgian-style home was purchased as a gift for Raine, the daughter of romantic author Dame Barbara Cartland, whom John Spencer had married in 1976. John Spencer passed away in 1992.
Following Diana’s divorce in 1996, the countess and Diana became much closer, despite the countess’s initial dislike from her stepchildren, who reportedly called her “Acid Raine.” The princess also became a frequent visitor to the house, spending hours in her late father’s first-floor library, according to listing agencies Wetherell and Chestertons.
According to her 2016 obituary in the Independent, Raine, who left the house in 2000, “was famed for her immaculate dress sense, bouffant hair, pearls and clipped accent.”
Danish Arif, head of Chestertons’ Mayfair sales, said, “We anticipate significant interest in this house from discerning buyers worldwide. Its aristocratic and royal connections make it a trophy house with a distinguished past.”
The four-story home, constructed in the early 1980s, has a drawing room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast area, and a library—where Diana spent much time.
There are five bedrooms total, including a full-floor principal suite on the top floor featuring a living room, dressing room, private roof terrace, and a staff suite with its own kitchen.
According to the listing, there are also patios, sash windows, elevators, and private parking in a safe underground garage that is only a short distance away.
The late Alan and Mary Hobart, art aficionados who established Pyms Gallery in Mayfair in 1975, are selling the mansion. The abode is furnished with artworks: Champions of Irish Painting displayed works by Irish painters Edgar Degas and Claude Monet alongside those by Nathaniel Hone, William Leech, and Mainie Jellett. According to property records, they paid GDP 2.82 million for the house in 2002.
According to Peter Wetherell, founder and executive chairman of Wetherell, “the property functioned as a private art museum, and the walls showcased many prestigious artworks when the Hobart family owned it.”
Peter Wetherell, Founder & Executive Chairman of Wetherell, says, “On the market for the first time in 22 years, this impressive house in the heart of Mayfair has had two prominent owners, Countess Raine Spencer and the Hobarts. When Countess Spencer owned 24 Farm Street, guests included her stepdaughter Diana, Princess of Wales, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, Mohammed Al Fayed and celebrity hairdresser Peter Constandinos. When the Hobart family owned the house, the walls showcased many prestigious artworks, and the property served as a private art museum.”
The house and long-leasehold private garage are for sale for GDP 10.95 million (freehold).
Viewing is strictly by appointment; contact joint sole selling agents Wetherell at 020 7529 5566 or visit www.wetherell.co.uk and Chestertons at +44 (0)20 7629 4513 or visit www.chestertons.co.uk.
