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Notable residents
A number of high profile people were raised in the area including Princess Diana, Sienna Miller, Amanda de Cadenet, and Ian Fleming creator of James Bond. Knightsbridge is a shoppers paradise and home to many expensive shops, including the exclusive department stores Harrods, owned by billionaire Egyptian tycoon Mohammed Al Fayed, Peter Jones, traditionally favoured by the Sloane Rangers, and Harvey Nichols, made famous by the antics of Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone in the classic British comedy Absolutely Fabulous. Victoria Beckham is a regular shopper in the area and Harrods is her outlet of choice for her own label fashion line VB Rocks. HistoryKnightsbridge was named after a crossing of the River Westbourne, which is now a underground river due to extensive building over. It comes above ground at Sloane Square tube station, where it is enclosed and suspended in a large green pipe above the platforms, on its way to the Thames. It is recorded that the citizens of London met Queen Matilda at the Knight's Bridge in 1141. For centuries the area was renowned as the haunt of highwaymen, robbers and cut throats targeting travellers on the western route out of London. The fortunes of Knightsbridge were transformed in the 19th century and have continued to rise and rise. Because of its wealth and prominence, the area has in the recent past been a prime target for international crime, including the £60m Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery in 1987. Many apartment buildings and shops have closed circuit television, doormen and security guards. The infamous Iranian Embassy siege, lasting several days in 1980, was played out to a global television audience as the Special Air Service stormed the building with controlled explosions, freeing the hostages and killing all but one of the perpetrators. Later in the 1980s, six Christmas shoppers were killed in an Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb outside Harrods. Infrastructure
SchoolsThere are a number of independent Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools in Knightsbridge, including three with Royal connections Hill House School in Hans Place where both the Prince of Wales and the singer Lily Allen received their first education, Frances Holland which Princess Diana attended for a time after the divorce of her parents, and Knightsbridge School in Lennox Gardens where the Old Etonian Headmaster was formerly Equerry to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle caters for the educational needs of London's sizable French community, many based in the local area. Britain's leading degree courses for science related subjects can be found at Imperial College which borders the district. PropertyKnightsbridge is widely regarded as the "Global Ultra Prime Residential Area" with some of the highest property prices in the world. Knightsbridge is leafy, especially so considering its location at the heart of London, with houses and apartment buildings situated around large, beautifully landscaped private gardens with tennis courts and topiary. It is also adjacent to Inner Londons largest public Park, Hyde Park, where facilities include baseball, football, cycling, horse riding, jogging, swimming, rowing, skating, table tennis, tennis and numerous outdoor events and concerts. In 2006 a four bedroomed apartment in Knightsbridge sold for over £25,000,000, and car parking spaces in the Harrods residential development in Hans Crescent sell for £300,000 on a 94 year lease. In February 2007, the world's most expensive apartment at One Hyde Park, sold off plan for £85,000,000. In early 2007 properties have been sold for in excess of £4,000 per square foot through developments overseen by well known designers, such as Candy and Candy, Viscount Linley, Johnathon Reed, John Stephanides, Kelly Hoppen, Mary Fox Linton, Nina Campbell, Nicholas Haslam, Spink, and Tyler International etc. Newly refurbished houses and flats often include all the latest technology. Knightsbridge is mostly made up of strictly controlled Conservation Areas and development land is all but impossible to find. Most properties offered by developers are refurbished flats and houses. Many of these now have huge basement extensions which accommodate private swimming, fitness, and entertainment facilities including private nightclubs and discoteques, catering facilities for visiting Celebrity Chefs - Michelin Stars (only of course), cinema rooms, and in some cases squash/tennis courts and ice skating rinks. These properties are sold off plan, and such is the demand often through sealed bids (often sight unseen), by top estate agents such as Harrods Estates, Knight Frank, Savills, and Strutt and Parker, who also act as buying agents for high net-worth individuals, and international corporations seeking to re-locate their executives in Knightsbridge. Knightsbridge remains the London home for most of Britain's aristocracy and their offspring, secure in the knowledge that the two principle landowners in the area are also two of Britain's wealthiest landowners, the Duke of Westminster and Earl Cadogan whose ancestor Sir Hans Sloane was responsible for the foundation of the northern Hans Town section, the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. The area is characterised by Queen Anne Revival architecture to be found primarily on the Cadogan Estate, and the white stucco fronted houses mostly found on the Grosvenor Estate, which were built by Thomas Cubitt who is an ancestor of the Duchess of Cornwall. The most sought after prime addresses are the garden squares closest to Harrods which serves as corner shop to many of the world's billionaires and celebrities. The store's famous liveried footman are regularly seen delivering purchases to the area's local residents, whose names frequently appear in the likes of Tatler Magazine and Harpers Bazaar. The best addresses include those in Belgrave Square, Egerton Place, Cadogan Square, Lennox Gardens and Hans Place which is located next to Harrods. Individual houses close to Harrods have sold for prices in excess of £35,000,000 in early 2007. In addition to upper class Londoners, Knightsbridge is home to large numbers of super wealthy people from the all around the world. It forms an International Community where English is the common language but conversations can regularly be heard in one of 300 languages from around the world - notably American, Arabic, Chinese, European and Eastern European languages, Indian dialects, Russian, and Hispanic languages. It is one of the two International Centres identified in the London Plan; the other is the West End. Knightsbridge is now the favoured location for Irish and Russian property investors. The Irish, led by Derek Quinlan - owner of Claridges, whose private equity fund, Quinlan Private, recently purchased 3.4 acres of prime retail commercial property from BP Pension Fund. This estate stretches along Knightsbridge from Harrods to Harvey Nichols. It is understood that this part of Knightsbridge, which includes some of the world's most expensive retail properties, will shortly be subject to substantial re-development. The Russians, led by Roman Ambramovich and his business partner Evgeny Svidler, have been agressively purchasing trophy residential properties in the district. Just the other side of the road from the Quinlan Estate, a roll call of some the richest families from the Middle East have placed deposits on flats in the world's most luxurious property development being undertaken by Candy and Candy and Lord Rogers at One Hyde Park with the financial backing of Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber Al-Thani, the Foreign Minister of Qatar. The north side of Knightsbridge, known as Knightsbridge Green is home to another ultra prime new development, The Knightsbridge, the trendy sushi restaurant - Zuma - and also the offices of New Star Asset Management, where the glamourous secretaries are millionaires following its recent flotation. Knightsbridge is the "must be seen in" district for well heeled Middle Eastern families during the summer months; it forms a European base for business trips and holidays throughout the continent. At this time the streets around Harrods are a paradise for classic car and number plate spotters. Cementing the Middle East connection, Knightsbridge is home to the European headquarters of Al Jazeera English, the English language version of the iconic Arabic news and current affairs channel headquartered in Doha. Further down the road, in Lowndes Square, is the property where Sven Goran Erikson was reported to have met with Roman Ambramovich. The square is favoured generally by Russian oligarchs, and Chelsea FC football players who are known to entertain lavishly in the nearby The Berkeley, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, and Lanesborough Hotels, and shop prodigiously in nearby Sloane Street. Jose Mourinho and Terry Venables are regularly seen in this area. In a dubious testament to the areas prestige, in the late 1990s there were reports that two Liverpudlian lottery winners house hunting in Knightsbridge were so badly dressed that a number of suspicious residents called the police - who allegedly dispatched arresting officers to remove the offending individuals. AttractionsThe area with its wide variety of high end hotels, restaurants and clubs, is widely regarded as one of the world's richest haunts for celebrity spotters, with an abundance of Royals, international football players, other sportstars, WAGS, super models, film stars, and other celebrities who either live nearby or visit the district throughout the year in preparation for social and sporting gatherings in the UK such as London Fashion Week, Ascot, Cheltenham, Wimbledon and The Open, and for events further afield in Europe, and the United States.
Tourist attractionsMuseums in the district include - The Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum; Science Museum; No. 1 London, London residence of the Duke of Wellington and the Serpentine Gallery. Cultural Centres in the District include - Cadogan Hall in Sloane Street for concerts of classical and popular music, Royal Albert Hall for a variety of music and sports events, the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, and the Ismaili Centre built by leading British architect Sir Hugh Casson. Fine Art: Bonhams, Christies, Kalman, and countless galleries and antique boutiques. ShopsKnightsbridge is noted as the home of flagship stores for retail brands such as Agent Provocateur, Agnes B, Alberta Ferretti, Avakian, B&B Italia, Benney - goldsmith to HM Queen Elizabeth II, Berlutti, Boodle & Dunthorne, Bottega Veneta, Bonpoint, Bulgari, Burbery, Calvin Klein, Cartier, Chloe, Christian Laboutin, Colefax & Fowler, Conran, Dior, Dolce & Gabbanna, Emilio Pucci, Emporio Armani, Escada, Fendi, Fratelli Rosetti, Gianfranco Ferre, Gianni Versace, Gina, Giorgio Armani, Graff, Hermes, Hilfiger, Hogan, Jitrois, Joe Mallone, Joseph, La Perla, LK Bennet, LoroPiana, Louis Vuitton, Lulu Guinness, Marni, Mulbery, Nichole Farhi, Poliform, Prada, Pringle, Philip Treacy the celebrated milliner, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Roger Vivier, Russell & Bromley, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shanghai Tang, Tanner Krolle, Tateossian, Theo Fennell, Tiffany's, Tods, and Yves Saint Laurent amongst many others. The renowned London based shoe designers Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, so often name checked in Sex and the City, are also based around the area. There are not one, but two Chanel stores in the area, alongside banks for high net worth individuals, including Coutts - bankers to the Queen, a secretive establishment which is rumoured to reject potential clients worth less than £5,000,000. Supermarkets: Harrods Food Halls, Partridges, Waitrose. Clubs and casinosClubs and casinos in the district, such as Browns, Collection, The Wellington, M1NT - patronised by Girls Aloud, and Boujis, the latter favoured by Prince William, and his brother Prince Harry, are often hired out for fashion and society parties. Recent hosts include Giorgio Armani, Elton John and Jennifer Lopez. It is not uncommon to see paparazzi photographers prowling the streets looking for targets or grouped en masse outside venues such as the Gilt Champagne Lounge, and San Lorenzo, the favourite restaurant of Princess Diana. RestaurantsRestaurants in the district include: Al Bustan, Baker & Spice, Bibendum, Cambio de Tercio, Carluccios, Daphnes, Daylesford Organic Cafe, Mr Chow, Marco Pierre White, Foliage, Gordon Ramsay, Itsu, Laduree, Le Suquet, Maroush II, the private dining rooms - Mossimans, Motcombs, Nam Long, Oriel, Pasha, Petrus, Poissonerrie de L'avenue, San Lorenzo, Zafferano, and Zuma from where the actor Russell Crowe was arrested for attacking a fellow diner, to mention but a few. HotelsHotels in the district include: Cadogan Hotel, Capital Hotel, Egerton House Hotel, Four Seasons; The Franklin Hotel; Hilton Hotel; Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park; Millenium Knightsbridge Hotel; The London Outpost, Jumeriah Carlton Tower, Jumeriah Lowndes Hotel; Lanesborough Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, No. 16, San Domenico House; Sheraton Hotel, The Berkeley, The Diplomat, The Draycott Hotel, The Gore, The Halkin, The Knightsbridge, The Sloane Hotel. See alsoNearest placesNearest tube stations
Others
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