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| Prince Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor |
Photo credit:
Sotheby’s Source: www.sirbahamas.com
New Providence Island,
the Bahamas -- Several years after Prince
Edward, the Duke of Windsor abdicated as King of England in 1936 in order
to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, he became the governor of
the Bahamas where the couple bought a Bahamian mansion while awaiting
completion of the renovation of Government House, the official residence.
Named Sigrist House, it is one of the
most exquisite properties in the islands and is now on the market priced at
$8.5 million.
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| Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson) and Prince Edward |
Edward Albert
Christian George Andrew Patrick David, Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII and
finally Duke of Windsor was a square peg that England tried to force into a
round hole, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
He made it clear at the outset as a boy that
he valued happiness above duty, but no one listened. As the country watched his
disdain for various courses of education, his romantic antics with married
women and his party-boy behavior, it should have been no real surprise when he
opted to reign with the love of his life instead of his country.
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| Queen Mary |
But shocked they were
and still not a day goes by generations later that his abdication from the
throne doesn’t stir up debate among loyal followers of British royalty.
King Edward VIII
reigned for just under a year before leaving England for exile in France with
Wallis Simpson, at which time his title was changed to Duke of Windsor.
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| Frederick Sigrist |
He told the family
that they would return to live in England in a couple of years but his mother, Queen
Mary, told him she would cut off his allowance if he ever moved back to
Britain.
Completely devastated,
the couple decided to tour Germany against the advice of the Crown. The German
tour raised many British eyebrows and gossip began running rampant that the
Duke had become a Nazi sympathizer.
It was at this point and for this reason he
was sent to the Bahamas and assigned the governor’s job in 1940.
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| Entrance to Sigrist House |
Though praised for many good decisions that
had positive outcome for the Bahamians, he wasn’t happy there, feeling all the
while that he was put there to be forgotten.
He resigned in March
1945, was welcomed into elite society in North America, and finally the couple
spent their later retirement in France. He was buried in the Royal Burial
Ground in Britain.
On their arrival at
the island of New Providence, the Windsors moved into this large country
estate where they lived until the Government House was renovated.
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| Living area, Sigrist House |
Located on a ridge
just outside Nassau on four acres overlooking gorgeous ocean and bay views, the
Spanish-colonial home was built in the 1930s by British-movie-producer Frederick
Sigrist who was also a pioneer in aviation.
The 15,000-square-foot
main residence has retained its British character with wood-paneled walls and
fireplaces, four of which were imported from English country homes. The
mahogany walls were shipped to England for finishing then sent back to Nassau
for installation.
In addition to the main residence with four
bedrooms, there is a three-bedroom apartment and two four-bedroom guest houses
making it convenient and private for guests wishing to have longer visits.
Though it retains its original character, the
entire property has been updated, modernized and refurbished from the roofs to
electrical and plumbing along with restoration of the wood and ironwork.
The lushly planted
tropical grounds flow out from the terraces and loggia and contain flower
gardens, fruit and coconut trees.
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The swimming pool and
spa have views of the ocean and manicured grounds. Restaurants, shops and a
casino are only a short stroll from the estate.
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| Mark Hussey |
Sigrist House, named
for its original owner, was the home of Edward, the Duke of Windsor, and Wallis
Simpson in 1940. Considered to be one of the most elegant estates in the
Bahamas and host to many dignitaries over the years, it is now for sale.
The listing agent is Mark
Hussey, of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, Nassau.
CONTACT:
Genelle C. Brown
Content Manager, Media Division
TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Phone: 434-480-4504
Twitter: @toptenrealestat
facebook.com/toptenrealestat
Content Manager, Media Division
TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Phone: 434-480-4504
Twitter: @toptenrealestat
facebook.com/toptenrealestat
