Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair to her grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. His parents moved into the town house a few weeks before his birth and would stay there for several months.
White Lodge
After their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of York (Elizabeth’s parents, before they became King and Queen) lived at White Lodge in Richmond, England, at the suggestion of Queen Mary, who grew up in the house. While she was born in London, White Lodge is listed as her parents’ address on Princess Elizabeth’s birth certificate. In 1927, the couple left the house, originally built in 1627 by architect Roger Morris as a hunting lodge for George II. In 1954, the building was acquired as the new home of the Junior Department of the Royal Ballet School.
145 Piccadilly
Later in 1926, the family moved into a Georgian house at 145 Piccadilly. In her book, little princesses, The future king’s nanny, Marion Crawford, described the five-storey building near Hyde Park Corner as ‘a homely and unpretentious home’. As per the advertisement of 1921 in country life magazine, the house, which he called ‘an important mansion’, had ‘an entrance hall, main staircase hall, secondary staircase with eclectic passenger lift, drawing room, dining room, study library about 25 bedrooms (and a) conservatory.’ Hamilton Garden, a small park shared by residents of neighboring buildings, was located behind the house and was used by the future Queen and her sister, Princess Margaret, for daily play. The family moved out in 1936 and the property was badly damaged during WWII bombing in 1940.
