I expected this legendary London hotel to be as grandiose as the original palace hotels in Paris, surrounded as it is by three royal homes. It’s less than a hop, skip and jump to St James Palace, the London residence of the former Prince of Wales, who, since his coronation as King Charles III, has taken up residence at Clarence House around the corner on The Mall.
This neo-classical pile was the former home of his grandmother, the Queen Mother, who lived within a cooee of her daughter, the late Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, currently being renovated for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
So, it came as a surprise to find Dukes has a discreet entrance tucked away on a charming courtyard at the far end of a cul-de-sac. Aha, I thought, privacy has always been much favoured by the royal family and this explains why the hotel has so many royal connections. Its famous ‘Bar’ — a mosaic of blue furnishings in a series of snug, inter-connected rooms — is where several royals have enjoyed a secluded drink.
