Royal residence Claremont (country house)

claremont house, ca. 1860

queen victoria frequent visitor claremont both child , later adult when leopold, doting uncle, lent house. she, in turn, lent house exiled french king , queen louis-philippe , marie-amelie (the parents-in-law of leopold of belgium) after revolution of 1848.

in 1870, queen victoria commissioned francis john williamson sculpt marble memorial charlotte , leopold erected inside house. (the memorial subsequently moved st george s church, esher.)

victoria bought claremont fourth , youngest son prince leopold, duke of albany, when married princess helena of waldeck , pyrmont in 1882. duke , duchess of albany had 2 children—alice , charles. in 1900, latter became duke of saxe-coburg , german citizen.

claremont should have passed duke of saxe-coburg on mother s death in 1922, because had served german general in first world war, british government disallowed inheritance. claremont accordingly confiscated , sold public trustee shipping magnate sir william corry, director of cunard line. 2 years after sir william s death in 1926, bought eugen spier, wealthy german financier. in 1930 mansion stood empty , marked demolition when bought, belvedere, stables , 30 acres (120,000 m) of parkland, governors of south london school, later renamed claremont school , since 1978 known claremont fan court school.