Classic shops and stylish streets on Old Bond Street, central Mayfair.
The Royal and ceremonial London , that of crown affairs, that of gentlemen's clubs, sumptuous residential buildings and the deeply rooted aristocracy begins south of oxford street, bounded between Marble Arch and Regent Street. To portray it, only one word is needed: traditional . Tradition, and very old.
The neighborhood's prosperity is linked to Henry VIII's decision to build the St. James's Palace in 1530, the seat of monarchs such as Isabel I. The royalty brought the court here and, with it, the need to distinguish themselves socially by living as close as possible to the place where everything was cooked in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thus were created harmonious squares, gardens, monumental mansions and a whole prosperous network of services whose pedigree is maintained by some shops based in Bond Street , who proudly display signs that read: “By appointment to her Majesty” (court providers) .
Mayfair , which is the name of the neighborhood, was also territory of the dandies at the beginning of the 19th century , those nonconformist romantics whose religion was style, nuanced with a point (or many) of eccentricity. ** Queen Victoria took a fancy to Buckingham Palace ** and put green land in between to distance her court from high M society. Elizabeth II continues to maintain her residence here, protected by St. James's Park and Green Park and a stone's throw from the Clarence House , the home of Prince Charles and his sons William and Harry. From the crown to the government, from Buckingham to the river, we enter the heart of Westminster the sphere of political power. Here two buildings immediately catch the eye. One is Westminster Abbey, grand as only a national shrine can be, the most important religious construction in England . Although the current temple was erected in the 13th century, William the Conqueror was crowned here as early as 1066. The ceremony set a trend, because most British monarchs have assumed their scepter here , including Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Don't leave without admiring the fan-vaulted ceiling that decorates the Henry VII Chapel or visiting Poets' Corner, with monuments and tombs of illustrious writers such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Dylan Thomas or the Brontë sisters.
The other landmark building is the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, whose neo-Gothic spiers host heated sessions of Lords and Commons in their respective chambers. From the other bank of the Thames you get the perfect photo of the whole , sandwiched between Victoria Tower on one side and Big Ben on the other. Even if it's a bit of a drive south of Westminster, your retinas will thank you for stopping off at the Tate Britain . Ophelia, by the Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais, and Turner's collection of watercolors are just some of the highlights of this museum, which brings together the best of British artists from several centuries.
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Address: Bond Street, London Show map
Guy: Neighborhood