A new Cambridge House

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94 Piccadilly has seen a lot of history.  The house was built for the 2nd Earl of Egremont between 1756-1761.   The house was known as Egremont House.  The late Palladian style home was owned by several families after Lord Egremont before it was acquired by the 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley.  Lord Cholmondeley lived in the house during the 1820s. 

In 1829, the house was acquired by Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.  He died at Cambridge House in 1850.

The house became known as Cambridge House, and has retained the name.

After the Duke's death, the house was purchased by Lord Palmerston, who served as Prime Minister from 1855-1865.   After Lord Palmerston's death, the house was bought by Naval and Military Club. also known as the In and Out Club.

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The Club moved to a new residence in 1999, having sold Cambridge House three years earlier to Simon Halabi for £50 million.

Halabi wanted to develop the residence as a hotel and private club.  Halabi, whose company went into bankruptcy  in 2009, was never able to develop the property. 

Cambridge House fell into disrepair and has been sitting vacant for some years.

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Three years ago, the house and adjoining properties (90-93 Piccadilly, 95 Piccadilly, and 12 White Horse Street) and 96-100 Piccadilly) were offered for sale as the Piccadilly Estate.

The properties were purchased by the Reuben brothers for £130 million.  Cambridge will be restored as a very pricey private home.  Other parts of the property will be converted to apartments.  As a part of the planning approval process, the two brothers also agreed to donate £3.85 million toward the construction of affordable housing in the area.

Prince Adolphus was the 10th child of King George III and Queen Charlotte.  In 1818, he married Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel.  They had three children,  Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, Princess Augusta and Princess Mary Adelaide.

Prince George was born at Cambridge House on March 26, 1819.  His two sisters were born in Hanover.    Princess Augusta, then the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, gave birth to her first child, a son, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, on January 13, 1845 at Cambridge House.  The infant lived for only a few hours.

After the death of the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge and her unmarried daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide, moved into an apartment in St. James's Palace.  Their favorite residence, however, was Cambridge Cottage in Kew Gardens.

The present Duke of Cambridge is a great-great-great-grandson of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge:  Duke of Cambridge-Princess Mary Adelaide-Queen Mary-George VI-Elizabeth II-Prince of Wales-William