When Prince William took his girlfriend Kate Middleton on a skiing vacation last winter, there was little doubt about where they would go; Courchevel in the French Alps has a fair claim to the title of world's most exclusive ski destination, and it's become increasingly popular with Russian oligarchs looking to rub elbows with royalty as well. The luxe five-star Hotel de Charme Les Airelles (above), which recently unveiled a $50 million renovation, is the place to stay for those who don't have private villas. The elite resort has only 37 guestrooms and 14 suites, as well as a 7,000-sq.-ft. spa, an exclusive Valentino boutique, and three eateries including the sumptuous Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant. For the ultimate in luxury, the 5,900-sq.-ft. Apartment Suite on the stop floor features four bedrooms all with private baths, a private spa, screening room and a 1,600-sq.-ft. terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi and a view of the coveted Courchevel 1850 (referring to the elevation) slopes.

Classic British outerwear company Barbour has come out with a brilliant collection for fall building on the brand's heritage while updating traditional designs and adding subtle new takes on sporting classics. Inspired by the best of British varsity wear and Barbour's own rich lineage - the firm, founded in 1894, holds Royal Warrants from HM Queen Elizabeth II, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and HRH The Prince of Wales - there are new additions to each of Barbour's collections: Heritage, Contemporary, Classic, and Sporting.

Fall ushers in a bold, visually appealing and tactile re-interpretation of Barbour's authentic style. This season sees an expansion in new styles in the company's outerwear, knitwear and shirts ranges, as well as a brand new, full trouser collection with formal, casual and jeans options for both men and women. One standout is the Union Jack International motorcycle jacket (above left) with a super cool British flag lining. Key items feature Union Jack patches and Barbour badges as well, such as the Durelli International jacket with an integral waistcoat. Other trends in the autumn/winter '09 collection include: (continued after the jump)

200-year-old London luxury goods firm Asprey has been making some of the world's most exquisite games for decades, of the sort that wouldn't look out of place in a palace. One of their latest offerings is a beautiful handmade gentleman's poker set in black polished genuine crocodile skin with ceramic poker chips and royal purple Asprey playing cards (above). Priced at about $8,000 it certainly brings new meaning to "poker night". Asprey, founded in 1781, holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, one of several granted by the British Royal Family over the years. As we reported last year, Asprey decided to return to its roots and focus on its core business of luxury goods representing a high-water mark of taste, refinement and quality after having branched out into clothing and footwear.

[via JustLuxe]

For its Spring / Summer collection which we previewed back in March, famed British clothing company Barbour has come out with an updated version of its classic waterproof waxed jacket. While this time of year usually calls for seersucker, the weather just isn't co-operating so waterproofs are de rigeur. The New Utility jacket (above), part of the company's Contemporary line, features slimmer proportions, cargo-style pockets and a smaller collar. Lined in classic Barbour Tartan, the jacket is made of the company's classic mediumweight 6 oz. Barbour Sylkoil waxed fabric. Barbour, which was founded in 1894 and holds Royal Warrants from Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Prince of Wales, is further expanding on tradition with artfully updated designs like this one.

Last month Britain's Prince Harry made his first official visit to the U.S. and kicked our asses at polo. Now his brother Prince William is reportedly house shopping in Malibu. Looks like we're in for another invasion of British royals.

The dashing Prince and his girlfriend, party favor heiress Kate Middleton, toured a privately-sited $8 million 4-bed, 4.5-bath compound with a detached guest house, 4-car garage and beautiful ocean view.

As it turns out, that house had been sold (to someone else) but no doubt the broker, Malibu's Bentzen Levin Real Estate, had plenty of other equally luxe listings to tempt his royal highness; there are several in the $6 - $16 million range.

On May 30 Britain's Prince Harry will play in the second annual Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic during his first official visit to the U.S. Last year we told you about the launch of the Manhattan Classic, the first polo match to be played in NYC in 70 years. For this year's event the famed St. Regis hotel is offering an Aficionado package, including a stay at the ultra-luxe hotel, VIP seating at the match for two guests, and brunch the next day with Nacho Figueras, captain of Ralph Lauren's Black Watch polo team (and a Ralph Lauren model).

The St. Regis will feature its renowned Afternoon Tea at the polo match, and Sandro Micheli of Adour Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis New York has created a special menu for the occasion. At the match taking place on Governor's Island, the Prince will play opposite Black Watch on a team captained by Nick Roldan. Veuve Clicquot is donating proceeds from the event to American Friends of Sentebale, a charity supporting at-risk children in Lesotho, Africa, founded by Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso.

[via JustLuxe]

Smythson of Bond Street, suppliers of luxury stationery and leatherbound diaries to the Queen of England, is being put up for sale. According to the company however this is not a distress sale, rather the result of several parties having expressed interest in acquiring the business, the London Telegraph reports. Smythson was bought for £16 million in 2005 by a consortium led by Goldman Sachs banker Mike Sherwood. Sales have increased considerably since then and are expected to be around £20 million for the previous year-to-date. Nonetheless this seems like an odd time for any investor to pay a premium for a luxury goods company.

Founder Frank Smythson opened his first London shop in 1887. His trade card described his business as "First class stationery, leather goods and cabinet work." In addition to its UK shops Smythson now has stores on New York's 57th St. and Beverly Hills' famed Rodeo Drive. Smythson was granted a Royal Warrant to Her Majesty the Queen in 1964. Other warrants followed: HRH The Prince of Wales in 1980, HM The Queen Mother in 1987, and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2002. Back in September we reported on Smythson's luxurious $6,500 watch cabinet.

Enthusiasm for the noble sport of polo and the luxurious lifestyle it entails has never been more in evidence. It seems the economic downturn has done little to dampen it, perhaps because polo's roots are so steeped in class and tradition. Over the past several months we saw Veuve Clicquot stage the first polo match in New York City in over 70 years; St. Regis inaugurate a major new International Polo Cup; the Snow Polo championships take place in Aspen and St. Moritz; and the first Desert Palm Nations Polo Cup in Dubai. Polo player Johnny Lynn (above) saw it all coming. In 2001 he founded Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand, made for polo players by polo players, and now he's opening up branches all over the world.

Lynn, a Canadian-born former financier who plays polo internationally and teaches as well, conceived of Polistas to outfit polo teams with high quality clothing and accessories both for playing in and for après polo. An immediate success, polo and equestrian enthusiasts of all stripes soon gravitated to his flagship store in London's famed Burlington Arcade. The name Polistas is Argentine slang for "polo players" and it is the classic Argentinian polo lifestyle - rugged, laid-back and timeless - that comes through in Polistas' products and attitude. For the past six years Polistas has had a major presence at Harrods and other high-end boutiques worldwide, and has been selected as the official supplier to several major tournaments, including the Veuve Clicquot British Open Gold Cup, The Hildon Queen's Cup, and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the UK.

The Queen of England is having her two $14 million bespoke Bentley limousines converted to run on biofuels. Bentley will replace the 400 HP twin-turbo 6.75 liter V8 engines on the unique cars (above) by way of promoting the new range of eco-efficient models the famed marque plans to introduce by 2012, the London Daily Mail reports. The first of the Queen's one-off, supersized limousines, based on an ultra-luxe prototype and costing about $14 million to build, was a gift from Bentley on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Elizabeth II was so taken with it that she persuaded Bentley to build her another. "We have a lot of support from the Royal Family for our biofuel strategy," a Bentley exec tells the paper. "It is something about which they all take a keen interest." Prince Charles has already converted one of his Aston Martins to run on bio-ethanol made from surplus English wine, and has had his Jaguar, Audi and Range Rover converted to run on old cooking fat.

An extremely rare and ornate pair of exhibition-grade gold-inlaid J. Purdey & Sons 12-bore shotguns stars in Christie's Exceptional and Fine Sporting Guns and Rifles sale in London today. Estimated at $320,000 - $400,000, the British-made shotguns contain an astounding amount of gold, accounting for the extremely high estimate. As Christie's notes, with the exception of weapons built for the Maharajahs of India, modern sporting guns were "only traditionally given gold inlay as a mild form of embellishment."

This extraordinary pair was actually inspired by gunsmith Ken Hunt's studies of arms and armor in the Tower of London, the Wallace Collection and the Victoria & Albert Museum. They are presented in a beautifully-crafted oak and leather case. Purdey, founded in 1814, holds numerous warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal families. Queen Victoria purchased a pair of Purdey guns in 1838.

Starting next month, you can hire the private train carriage built for the Prince of Wales in 1919 on an unparalleled journey through the heart of Australia. The carriage will be available on The Ghan's journey from Adelaide on the continent's southern coast to the port of Darwin at its top, one of the world's great railway excursions. The historic carriage was built for Edward, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor), for his royal visit in 1919. Accommodating up to ten guests in its ornate wood-paneled lounge and suites, the beautifully-restored carriage costs about $15,000 for a one-way, two-night trip.

[via UrbanDaddy]

It seems even the Queen of England is feeling the credit crunch. The value of her official London residence, Buckingham Palace, has fallen by about $100 million over the past 12 months, the London Telegraph reports. The 52-bedroom mansion, which dates to 1703 and sits on 40 prime acres, is now valued at $1.7 billion, down from $1.8 billion in August of last year. The dollar figure was assessed by UK property values database Zoopla, which has also calculated that the Queen's weekend retreat, Windsor Castle, has dropped about $15 million in value over the same period to $320 million. "The figures highlight that even the Royal Family aren't immune to the recent property market slump and that larger properties have been effected too," Zoopla CEO Alex Chesterman tells the paper, noting that further decreases could well be in the offing.

The Berners Hotel, an Edwardian edifice in London's West End, is set to re-open in 2009 following extensive renovations restoring the famed spot to its former glory. The four-star hotel, named for Josias Berners who purchased the land on which it stands in 1654, was originally constructed in 1835 as five conjoined houses in the classical style. At the turn of the 20th century it was converted into a luxury hotel; King Edward VII was said to have frequently entertained his mistress, Lillie Langtry, in a private suite of rooms there, and it also served as the London premises of famed Russian jeweler Carl Fabergé. All 176 rooms as well as the landmarked public spaces are being restored to their Edwardian splendor under the auspices of JJW Hotels' Luxury Collection.

Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey is basing the British fashion house's new Fall/Winter 2008-09 ad campaign on one of our favorite movies from last year, rock photographer Anton Corbijn's Control.

Bailey hired Mario Testino to mimic the moody flick about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the ads, which are shot in black-and-white like the movie.

Sam Riley, the talented actor who played Curtis in Control, stars alongside sexy British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, right, who's said to be a distant cousin of the Queen of England. If so she must be one of the somewhat overbred Windsor family's more attractive relations.

See the gallery for an image from the new campaign and more.

[via Kempt]

Earlier this month we reported on the Royal Ascot races, one of the highlights of the English social season. This week ushers in another classic British sporting event-cum-society pageant, the Henley Royal Regatta. The five-day Regatta, held on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, takes place over the first weekend of every July and runs from Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th this year.

International crews compete in various races at the Regatta, which has been held every year since 1839 except during the two World Wars, the main event being the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, became the Regatta's first Royal Patron in 1851, a tradition carried on by the reigning monarch ever since, though unlike Royal Ascot they don't always deign to attend.

Even more so than at Ascot, Henley provides an opportunity for aristocrats from the sporting and social sets to dress in that distinctively British style which has inspired so many fashion designers over the decades. The commercialization of Henley, unlike Ascot, Wimbledon and cricket at Lord's, has been slower to take hold, and as Godfrey Smith writes in The English Season, it is something of "an Edwardian time warp."