Inside the most expensive mansions in the world
From seaside mansions to luxury villas and Meghan Markle’s former residence, these are the mansions the rich call home.
From luxury villas to rooftop penthouses and converted warehouses, take a look inside the luxury mansions up for sale around the world.
Blast from the past
A waterside apartment in London stands on the site of King Henry VIII’s Gunpowder Factory. The home is a 1980s “time warp” from the initial warehouse-residential conversion – Shad Thames, London. This waterside apartment in the warehouse-filled neighbourhood stands on the site of the first water-powered gunpowder factory in England, built to support King Henry VIII’s 16th-century war with France. It is on the market for £750,000 ($1.45m). The former gun mill produced munitions for the Mary Rose, one of the king’s favourite ships, ahead of its doomed final voyage into battle that saw it famously sink as it began to engage French warships in 1545, according to published reports. In the 19th century, the area included the largest warehouse complex in London. Java Wharf, the 50-unit Grade II-listed building that holds this second-floor apartment, is “one of the original warehouse buildings in Shad Thames”, said listing agent Jon Byers, founder of Anderson Rose.
Java Wharf, which is set on the western bank of the River Neckinger, a tributary of the River Thames, has retained a lot of its original warehouse architecture, including arched windows, brick walls, winches and large signwriting, he said.
BILL CARY
Villa among groves
An ultra-modern waterfront mansion overlooks ancient olive groves in northern Greece.
Built in 2020, the villa in Halkidiki takes advantage of the surrounding natural, rugged beauty and sea views and is on the market for €20m ($32.6m).
The modern villa stands in contrast to its surrounding ancient olive grove and the clear, turquoise waters of the Lagomandra coastline that the property overlooks. It was built in 2020 by architect Argyri Chalkia. Open spaces and extensive glazing allow every above-ground room to enjoy the stunning sea views extending to Kelifos island, including a living room that opens up fully to the patio. A rich variety of outdoor areas provide plenty of space for entertaining, dining or quiet lounging, while an impressive basement amenity complex offers fitness and entertainment features.
The five-bedroom property enjoys just over 0.6ha of land with direct beach access, and has won numerous awards, says listing agent Daniela Katsoulaki. “It is a place full of stunning dawns and sunsets, storms and rainbows, colours and scents,” she says. The property has five bedrooms and five bathrooms in total, including a 55sq m self-contained basement apartment with two bedrooms and a bathroom. The home boasts a basement spa area with a sauna, hammam and gym, as well as a cinema room. Outside, the patio features several spaces for lounging and dining, as well as a uniquely shaped swimming pool and a sunken seating area.
JONELLE MANNION
Vintage to venerate
A four-bedroomed townhouse has had several notable residents, including the Berry wine family, purveyors to the British royal family, and is on the market for £7.95m ($15.4m).
The elegant, terraced Queen Anne townhouse in the heart of London’s Chelsea neighbourhood is for sale for the first time in 40 years. With its stucco columned portico, decorative cornicing and long windows spanning almost ceiling to floor, the home’s historical architecture is complemented by the notable figures who have called it home over the centuries. “Richard Mead, King George II’s physician, is notable for his medical expertise, attending to Queen Anne on her deathbed in 1714 and later becoming head physician to George II in 1727,” said Robert Green, head of sales at John D Wood & Co in Chelsea. “Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, who lived here later, served as prime minister from 1830 to 1834.”
The property later belonged to the Berry family – owners of Berry Bros & Rudd, the oldest wine merchants in Britain and famous for providing wine to the royal family. The Grade II-listed property has retained plenty of elegant period features but certain modernisations have made it particularly comfortable and well-suited to a contemporary lifestyle. “The five-storey, 353sq m layout includes new bathrooms and a grand principal bedroom suite, alterations made before the house acquired its listed status, offering modern comforts in a historic setting,” Green said. The property has been beautifully decorated throughout.
INDIA STOUGHTON
Overlooking Hyde Park
One of the most expensive homes currently on the market in London is a £60m ($116m) penthouse overlooking the city’s famous Hyde Park. On the ninth floor of the 55-unit Park Modern development, the trophy home spans 632sq m inside and another 223sq m outside in the form of a wraparound terrace.
It is “one of the largest private terraces in central London, which wraps around the entire living space providing breathtaking views over Hyde Park and Kensington Palace,” said Fenton Whelan co-founding director James Van Den Heule, who recently brought the home to the market. The buyer of the penthouse will be able to collaborate with Fenton Whelan to personalise the unit, which has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city. Among the features is a grand entrance hall, a vast living area with a floating feature fireplace and a bar area, a 20-seat dining room with doors opening on to the terrace allowing for al fresco dining and entertaining, and two kitchens – one for family and one professional.
As well, the home has a theatre, an office, a games room and a library. The primary bedroom suite is one of eight in the unit, and comes with its own private entrance lobby, a walk-in dressing room and a bathroom with a blue glass bathtub. The main guest bedroom also has a private lobby.
As for the building itself, the development offers its residents amenities that include a 24/7 concierge, valet parking, a restaurant, cinema, and a host of wellness facilities including pools, a gymnasium, spa and a treatment room.
LIZ LUCKING
Fashionably grand
Most recently used as a high-end commercial space, this historic 1800s mansion in the centre of the port city of Antwerp offers a range of possibilities for the next owner. It is for sale for €10m ($16.3m). “It doesn’t have to remain a store,” said listing agent Tom Aerts, of Nest Seekers International. “It could be used as a city palace.” The large storefront windows on the ground floor could be removed. “It’s a trophy house,” he said. “People collect cars, people collect watches, and people collect houses.”
Known as the Geelhand-Meyers Mansion, after its first owner, Raymond Geelhand-Meyers, the grand three-storey home was designed by architect Victor Durlet and built in 1881, according to the listing. “(Durlet was a) well-known architect here in Belgium,” Aerts said. “You feel that history when you walk into the house,” he said. “It has gone through changes but the authenticity of the house is still intact. The grandeur of the 1800s is still alive in the property.” The exterior features a white natural stone facade, adorned with blue hardstone accents, and five vertical windows facing out to the street on both of the upper floors, according to the listing. Interior features of the 10-room home include marbled fireplace mantels, inlaid parquet floors, ornate stucco ceilings, a vestibule adorned with Ionian pilasters and a grand central staircase.
The property was transformed into a commercial space in 1993, according to the listing. Most recently it was used by a “private fashion label for very high-end clothing”, with the owner living on the upper floors, a “living area with a lot of grandeur,” Aerts said. The three bedrooms are “all very big, quite sizeable,” he said. The store is empty now and the spaces that hold offices “can be very nice living rooms”. The house is configured with three bedrooms and three full bathrooms. Amenities include internal parking for eight to 10 cars, and a gated entry.
BILL CARY
Markle sparkle
A three-bedroom Toronto home where Meghan Markle lived while starring in the TV series Suits is back on the market, asking $C1.895m ($2.07m). The two-storey house on Yarmouth Rd, painted a charming violet hue with a turquoise front door and an A-framed roof, features a welcoming front porch and a driveway leading to a two-car garage. The interior includes three bedrooms, an eat-in chef’s kitchen, and a renovated basement, while the landscaped yard includes an ample deck for gathering with friends and family.
The Duchess of Sussex, a former actor, lived in the rented two-storey home in Seaton Village with her two dogs until 2017, while filming the show and dating Prince Harry, who visited Toronto often, under the radar. Harry described visiting the Toronto house for the first time in his autobiography, Spare. “Meg was excited to show me her life, her dogs, her little house, which she adored,” he wrote. In fact, the couple were in Toronto when they heard that the press had discovered they were dating, according to Finding Freedom, a 2020 biography about the couple to which Markle contributed. The news caught them off guard and they had to act quickly, according to the book.
Markle lived at the Toronto house until the couple made their engagement official in November 2017. The Toronto property was listed for sale less than a month later for $C1.395m, and quickly sold. The owners recently listed the home with Daniel Freeman of Freeman Realty. Located on a quiet block in the Seaton Village section of Toronto near the Annex, the home is not too far from the Bay Adelaide Centre in central Toronto. Other homes in the neighbourhood are asking within the $C2m-$C3m range, making this home comparatively affordable. The garage can also be converted into a guest suite.
CHAVA GOURARIE
