BritishRoyalty

Historic Steel Superyacht Used by British Royals for Sale at $10.5 Million

The world's oldest steel superyacht, still steaming along in style nearly 110 years after she was launched, is being offered for sale for about $10.5 million. The 182.-ft. Madiz (above), built by the Ailsa Shipyard in Troon, Scotland and originally christened the Triton, served in the British Royal Navy as a Royal Patrol Yacht during World War II, and King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth II used her on several occasions. The last surviving ship to have been personally designed by G. L. Watson, the pioneering yacht designer who created some of the most successful contenders for the America's Cup, the stately craft was refitted with Maybach engines and then completely restored in 2006. Decks of Burmese teak, Cuban mahogany in the master staterooms and solid oak paneling in the reception areas speak to the luxury of a bygone era. There are stylish accommodations for 14 along with 9 crew to serve them champagne and keep the woodwork shining.

[via JamesList]

Tags: British Royal Navy, British royalty, BritishRoyalNavy, BritishRoyalty, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, Scotland, superyacht, yacht

Cufflinks Made from Prince Charles' Aston Martin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

A while back when Prince Charles converted his beloved 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Volante, a 21st birthday present from his mummy the Queen of England, to run on wine, there were some spare engine parts left over. Now London-based TMB Artmetal, makers of "provenance" items fashioned from parts of automotive, aeronautic, locomotive and maritime icons, has come out with limited edition cufflinks made from the original aluminum engine pistons removed during the conversion. There are two editions of 100 pairs, each priced at £995 or about $1,600, finished with 18ct gold. One edition is an exact, miniature sculpture of the DB6 Volante, whilst the other replicates the car's iconic wheel spinners – the quick-release fixing that secures the Aston's wheels. All profits go to Charles' youth charity, The Prince's Trust.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Aston Martin, AstonMartin, biofuel, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, cufflinks, London, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, UK

David Linley Tri-Time Desk Clock

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style

Viscount David Linley, the bespoke cabinetmaker who's a nephew of the Queen of England, has designed his first timepiece in the form of an extremely handsome desk clock with a streamlined Art Deco feel. The Linley Tri-Time Desk Clock (above), priced at about $1,500, is finished in beautifully grained walnut with stainless steel detailing and three Swiss clocks allowing the owner to keep track of separate time zones. The clock is from Linley's ever-expanding range of accessories including boxes for jewelry, watches and cufflinks, humidors, desk sets and more. The aristocratic designer credits his talented father, the eminent photographer Lord Snowdon, as being particularly influential on his career, having himself trained as an architect and designed amongst other things the Aviary at London Zoo. His mother of course is Princess Margaret.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, clock, David Linley, DavidLinley, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, wood

Creed Windsor, a Kingly Cologne

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Creed of Paris, supplier of bespoke fragrances to royalty and aristocracy since 1760, has released a limited edition bottling of a cologne originally created for the Duke of Windsor in 1936 during his brief reign as King Edward VIII before he abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.

Only 320 bottles of the kingly cologne, presented in a shatterproof 1.7 oz. leather-wrapped flask numbered and signed by sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed, will be available in the U.S. for $400 apiece. It's made exclusively from ingredients grown in what was once the British Empire.

The subtle, elegant top notes of Creed Windsor are British gin, Jamaican lime and a touch of Scottish highland pine; the middle note the variety of roses now known as the "Duke of Windsor"; and the bottom notes Bahamian orange, Canadian cedar and a dab of Australian eucalyptus.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, cologne, Creed, Duke of Windsor, DukeOfWindsor, fragrance, Paris, perfume, royalty

The Classicist: Rambling in the 2010 Range Rover Sport

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist

The Range Rover is the automotive embodiment of a distinctly upper class British sporting aesthetic, as quintessentially English and aristocratic as the country houses dotting the verdant landscape. The luxe SUV was introduced in 1970, expanding upon the utilitarian Land Rover first designed by the Wilks Brothers in 1948. The preferred country conveyance of Prince Charles and his kin, the marque continues to dominate the upper end of the SUV spectrum in the UK and abroad despite having passed out of British hands.

For 2010 the Range Rover and its rakish younger sibling, the Range Rover Sport, were treated to a makeover encompassing several significant engineering and design upgrades. We had a chance to ramble 'round the scenic byways of Vermont recently in the latter. At 375 hp, the normally aspirated Sport model has nearly the same power as the previous year's supercharged version, capable of 0 - 60 mph in 7.2 seconds (just 0.1 seconds off the pace of the outgoing supercharged unit).

The Sport's smooth, refined, responsive performance and good looks mark it as a thoroughbred in all respects. For 2010 the exterior has a somewhat cleaner, more sculpted appearance. LED headlamps combine with a new two-bar grille, front bumpers and fenders to create a more sporting, aerodynamic, low-slung stance. At the rear, new light clusters and a revised bumper design mirror the smoother front-end. The interior has been comprehensively redesigned as well, using higher quality materials and finishes.

Gallery: 2010 Range Rover Sport

Leather is used extensively on major surfaces, in a wider choice of colors. To create a more sporting feel, rich dark shades "sandwich" narrow sections in lighter tones, completed by a generous selection of stylish wood finishes. There are luxurious new seats front and rear, which feature a deeper, more sculpted shape. A new adaptive sport mode provides more aggressive shift points and "learns" an individual driver's style to provide more appropriate responses to throttle inputs. The supercharged model now comes with F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel as well.

The fascia-mounted touch-screen system houses a new hard-drive navigation system while a new portable audio interface also allows connectivity to an array of personal audio storage devices, USB sticks and iPods. A new Surround Camera System features five digital cameras which relay a near 360-degree view to the touch-screen display. You can even zoom in. And one of our favorite new features is the automatic High Beam Assist technology, which turns them on and off as needed, detecting preceding and approaching traffic. Perfect for those country roads at night.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, Land Rover, LandRover, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Range Rover, RangeRover, sporting, SUV, UK

Ski in Royal Style in Courchevel

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Celebrity Shopping, Sports

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.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, Courchevel, French alps, FrenchAlps, Hotel de Charme Les Airelles, HotelDeCharmeLesAirelles, Prince William, PrinceWilliam, skiing, Valentino

The Classicist: True Brit - Barbour's Best for Fall

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style, The Classicist

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)

Gallery: Barbour Fall '09

Tags: Barbour, British Royalty, British style, BritishRoyalty, BritishStyle, hunting, motorcycle, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, sporting, tweed, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: True Brit - Barbour's Best for Fall”

Asprey Crocodile Skin Poker Set

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style

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]

Tags: Asprey, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, crocodile, gambling, games, London, poker, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, Royal Warrant, royalty, RoyalWarrant, UK

Barbour Waxed Cotton New Utility Jacket

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

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.

Tags: Barbour, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, hunting, jacket, outerwear, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, UK, waterproof

Prince William Spotted House Shopping in Malibu

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

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.

Source

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, California, Malibu, Prince Harry, Prince William, PrinceHarry, PrinceWilliam

Prince Harry to Play in Manhattan Polo Match

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine, Events, Charity, Sports

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]

Tags: Alain Ducasse, AlainDucasse, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, champagne, Manhattan, polo, Prince Harry, PrinceHarry, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, St. Regis, St.Regis, Veuve Clicquot, VeuveClicquot

Queen of England's Luxe Stationer Smythson for Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

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.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, Diary, London, Prince of Wales, PrinceOfWales, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, Rodeo Drive, RodeoDrive, Royal warrant, RoyalWarrant, Smythson, stationery, UK

The Classicist: Polistas - For Polo Players, By Polo Players

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

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.

Gallery: Polistas Polo Style

Founder Johnny Lynn and Polo Babes Outside the Burlington Arcade Store

Prince Charles wearing a Polistas polo shirt

Tags: Argentina, British royalty, British style, BritishRoyalty, BritishStyle, Burlington Arcade, BurlingtonArcade, Equestrian, Harrods, Horses, Johnny Lynn, JohnnyLynn, London, Polistas, Polo, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, PrinceCharles, PrinceOfWales, Snow polo, SnowPolo, St. Regis, St.Regis, UK, Veuve Clicquot, VeuveClicquot

Continue reading “The Classicist: Polistas - For Polo Players, By Polo Players”

The Queen's $14 Million Bespoke Biofuel Bentleys

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

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.

Tags: Bentley, Biofuel, British Royalty, BritishRoyalty, Limousine, Prince Charles, PrinceCharles, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland

Guns Fit for a Maharajah on Offer at Christie's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Sports

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.

Tags: British royalty, BritishRoyalty, Christies, Purdey, Shotgun, Sporting guns, SportingGuns

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