They have some of the most exclusive addresses in London and their own personal chefs on hand, so when the various members of the Royal Family choose to pay a visit to a hotel in their native city, you can be sure that these establishments are offering something pretty special. From the decadent backdrop to a scandalous affair to ballroom dance classes fit for a princess, and the most glamorous rowdy wedding reception ever, to enough classic sophistication to finally go public with a controversial romance. If we can't check into one of the properties where these historic events occurred, we can at least check them out . . .
The original hotel was made up of several houses knocked together, and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were the first royal visitors in 1860. The hotel's royal pedigree was sealed, and during the Second World War many exiled heads of state stayed there. In fact while King Peter II of Yugoslavia and wife were in residence, she gave birth to their son. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared that their room (no. 212) could be declared Yugoslavian territory, so that their son could be born on his own country's soil. The hotel was so popular with royalty from all over the world that it's been reported in 1947 when a diplomat called and asked to speak to the king, the concierge replied: "Certainly. which one?"
The queen is a big fan of Claridge's. She hosted Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding reception on the premises, and it turned into a pretty raucous celebration. The queen's table included Princess Grace of Monaco, and US First Lady Nancy Reagan, but there was no other formal seating, and the queen's sister Princess Margaret was seen eating her scrambled eggs while sitting on the floor. All the guests wore sailor's hats, there was a conga-line of dancing guests and the queen didn't leave until 1:30 a.m.
William and Kate have since been to Claridge's for assorted official engagements, with sadly no conga-lines reported.
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The Soho Hotel
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She's not royal yet, but all the signs are pointing that way . . . Before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry went public with their relationship, Meghan stayed at the modern West End property, which is known for its brightly colored mismatched patterns, and quiet mews nook deep in the vibrant Soho district. Could it be where Meghan and her family would stay the night before a future wedding?
The sleek and chic hotel first opened on The Strand in 1889, and was a favorite of the queen's and her sister Princess Margaret when they were teenagers in the 1940s. They would go there for dinner, dancing and cabaret, and at one particular wedding reception in the hotel’s River Room, Princess Elizabeth was photographed with the young man who was to become her husband. The Savoy hosted a Coronation Ball for the queen in 1953, and she and Prince Philip returned there to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary. The Queen Mother was also a fan of the hotel, and she opened the restaurant kitchens after a refurbishment. For the senior royal's amusement, the pianist would always play a short burst of The Teddy Bears’ Picnic whenever she entered the room.
Another royal hotel with links to the queen and her sister Princess Margaret's early years is the Mandarin Oriental, an establishment formerly known as The Hyde Park Hotel. The little princesses learned to dance in the ballroom overlooking Hyde Park, and they were just some of the six generations of royals who have passed through the doors of the grand red brick property. Built in 1902, Edward VII's wife Queen Alexandra was the first royal fan, followed by the wife of George V, Queen Mary. Her son Edward chose it as the location for many of his engagements, and later Prince Philip frequented the hotel, where he hosted polo and cocktail parties, and brought his young children Prince Charles and Princess Anne for tea. The queen and Prince Philip also hosted visiting dignitaries at the hotel the night before William and Kate's wedding.
Best-known among royal fans as the place where Kate Middleton woke up on the morning she became a princess, The Goring actually has a royal pedigree which now spans five generations. After first opening its doors just around the corner from Buckingham Palace in 1910, Queen Mary became a fan, and her daughter-in-law the Queen Mother was also a regular visitor. The Queen Mother's favorite dish was the Eggs Drumkilbo (made with lobster) that's still served there today, and The Goring is where she made her final appearance before her passing. The Goring is also said to be the queen's favorite London hotel, and is the only one to have a Royal Warrant. Prince Charles' christening cake was made by chefs from the hotel's kitchen, and just last year the queen hosted a Christmas lunch there for her staff – although they were gatecrashed by a drunken stranger who had to be removed.
Bringing the royal connection bang up to date, Kate Middleton and her family stayed at the hotel the night before her wedding, staying in the Royal Suite which was created specially. The suite runs across an entire floor, and is hand-furnished with antiques including Art Deco chandeliers, Georgian glassware, and in a drawer the birth certificate of one of Edward VII's children. Walls are lined with the same silk that was used to furnish the Titanic, and there's an oil painting of Queen Victoria (protected behind aircraft glass.) Kate has returned to The Goring several times since her wedding, ensuring that the hotel will remain a firm favorite for years to come.
The gloriously decadent Belle Epoch style hotel opened on the edge of Green Park in 1906, and was popular with Edward VII, and later the Queen Mother, whose favorite song to be performed there on the piano was A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. The Ritz has since become a favorite of Prince Charles, and he has awarded the hotel with a Royal Warrant for banqueting and catering services. Most importantly, The Ritz is where he first went public with Camilla Parker-Bowles in 1999. Although their relationship had been known about for years, it was at a birthday party for Camilla's sister that the couple decided to be photographed together for the first time, and was the first step to making their marriage a possibility. Three years later, the queen hosted a birthday party for Charles at the hotel, and Her Majesty also had her own 60th and 80th birthday parties there, where guests were served salmon fishcakes and Windsor Fizz cocktails made from elderflower, champagne and raspberry liqueur.
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The Cadogan
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The Cadogan hotel has possibly the raciest royal history. It was completed in Chelsea in 1887 after four Victorian townhouses were knocked together. Edward VII's notorious mistress Lillie Langtry lived in a neighboring property, where she would play host to her royal beau, and when her house was incorporated into the hotel, she (and he) would stay in the same room. Their memories are now preserved with the hotel's Edward VII suite and Langtry's Restaurant.
A little more low-key than some of the other gilded and glittering hotels, Browns oozes with a more stately glamour. The property is made up of 11 Georgian townhouses in the swanky district of Mayfair, and is where Queen Victoria used to take afternoon tea.
