Bahamas estate once home to the Duke of Winsor and Wallis Simpson hits the market

A country estate in Nassau, on the Bahamian island of New Providence, once owned by the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, hit the market last month for US$8.5 million.

In 1939, the Duke of Windsor relocated to the island with his American socialite wife, Wallis Simpson, for whom he had given up the British throne for three years previously, to start his new role as the governor of the Bahamas the following year, according to listing agent Mark Hussey of Damianos Sotheby's International Realty, the estate agency marketing the home.

On arrival, they spent three months at Sigrist House while Government House, the official residence of Governor of the Bahamas, was renovated, according to Mr. Hussey.

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty says the property is managed by “historians from Canada” but it did not disclose the name of the owner. Mansion Global could not identify the owners.

Positioned on a ridge outside Nassau, overlooking Cable Beach, Goodman’s Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Sigrist House, which is set on four acres of private grounds and gardens, is “one of the finest estates in the Bahamas,” said Mr. Hussey, who added that many dignitaries have stayed in the property over the years.

In addition, the property, which was built in the 1930s by British aviation pioneer and movie producer Frederick Sigrist, has James Bond connections. Frederick Sigrist was married to Princess Fredericka “Bo” Guirey, who later married Kevin McClory, known for adapting the literary character of James Bond for cinema and for producing “Thunderball” in 1965. The West Indies estate has also featured as the backdrop of a number of the Bond films, according to Mr. Hussey.

The Spanish colonial style 15,000-square-foot main residence has original 1930s interiors with open fireplaces and full wood-paneled rooms, giving it a distinctly British feel. Four of its fireplaces were imported from British country homes.

Ref: Property Report