Château de la Croë is large, prestigious and from 1927
Château de la Croë is a large and prestigious villa located in the exclusive area at the tip of Cap d’Antibes, next door to another famous villa in the area, Villa Eilenroc.
The villa was built in 1927 in Victorian style to the English aristocrat Sir William Pomeroy Burton, general manager of the Associated Newspaper. The architect was Armand Albert Rateau who built the property on the seven acre plot that extends all the way down to the sea.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor – and Churchill
In 1938, the property was acquired by the Duke of Windsor, the former and abdicated King Edward VIII of England.
The Duchess, Wallis Simpson, spent huge sums on updating the property, making it more reminiscent of the surroundings the Duke was accustomed to when he lived in the Royal Palace of England. Expensive furniture, silver and porcelain were purchased from England.
Sumptuous receptions were held at the castle and guests were to be found among the royal, the political elite including Winston Churchill, and many other significant and famous people.
Winston Churchill and his wife also celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the castle with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Onassis takes over
In 1950, the Greek shipping king Aristotle Onassis bought the castle and held it until 1957, when it was taken over by Onassis’ brother-in-law Stavros Niarchos.
Roman Abramovich takes over
The wealthy Russian Roman Abramovich has been the owner of Château de la Croë since 2001.
The villa was in a pretty bad shape and rumour has it that he spent more than 33 million euros on bringing it back to its current condition. The job was completed in 2008.
As part of the work, a 15 m long swimming pool was built on the roof of the building, and a fitness center and a cinema were installed in the basement.
Also read about Villa Eilenroc and Château de la Garoupe
In addition to the Château de la Croë, there are two more magnificent historic mansions on the Cap d’Antibes. One is Villa Eilenroc, which today is open to the public and contains a fantastic garden.
The second is the Château de la Garoupe, which is today seized by the French state after the owner, the Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, committed suicide in 2013.
Read more about the two historic mansions here: Villa Eilenroc & Château de la Garoupe
By Tommy Sverre – 2023
