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History

Royal weekend retreat of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor up for sale

It was the rural idyll where they entertained some of the most famous names of the 20th century and now the one time weekend retreat of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is on the market.

Le Moulin de la Tuilerie became a royal residence in 1952 when Edward and Wallis bought it as a getaway. The main residence is a converted mill but the entire property includes six other buildings as well as a polo pitch and gardens. Now the estate, including its 26 acres, is up for sale.

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The site on sale today owes much to the Duchess of Windsor. Once the royal couple bought the property, Wallis set about renovating the entire estate, with interior designer Stephanie Boudin, and converted the outbuildings into accommodation and salons to entertain and host guests. Among the stars she and Edward entertained there were Marlene Dietrich, Maria Callas and Elizabeth Taylor.

Wallis even changed the name of the property once she made it her own. There had been a mill in the area since the 15th century although the one the Windsors bought had been built in 1734 and known since then as Moulin Aubert. As her project came together, the Duchess of Windsor renamed her new home ‘Le Moulin de la Tuilerie’.

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Even before its royal connections, the property had been a popular weekend retreat for well heeled Parisians. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s it was owned by the artist Adrien Etienne, better known as Drian, who turned it into  a salon frequented by painters including Picasso. Drian originally leased the property to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor before agreeing to sell it to them in the year that Edward’s niece became Queen Elizabeth II.

Following the death of the Duke of Windsor, the estate was sold and in recent years it has become well known as a holiday let as well as a wedding venue.

Le Moulin de la Tuilerie is set in the Chevreuese Valley, just outside Paris. The estate is being sold through Vingt Paris and the asking price? £5.6 million.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.