If you've been tuning into The Diplomat on Netflix, you've likely become well-versed with Winfield House – the storied London property where the U.S. ambassador resides. Keri Russell stars as the ambassador in question, and while the series is an alternate history, the residence plays a major role in the show.
Built in 1825 for Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, the third Marquess of Hertford, the property was originally used for entertaining before it became a hub for political affairs. Also referred to as St. Dunstan's, the villa was one of eight created in Regent's Park.
In 1936, it transitioned into the Neo-Georgian estate it is now, thanks to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton taking over.
Her hope was to create a more private home for her son (the name Winfield House derives from her grandfather, Frank Winfield Woolworth), and she enlisted L. Rome Guthrie to reconstruct the building. It wasn't until 1945, when the house was damaged in World War II, that the property was donated to the United States Government. A year later, it officially became the American Ambassador’s Residence to the Court of St. James’s.
Several renovations would take place over the years, but among the most noteworthy is under Ambassador and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg, who installed 18th-century, handpainted Chinese wallpaper to the Garden Room, formerly known as the Green Room.
Winfield House has seen politicians and dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II, former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, and Princess Diana walk through its halls, as it continues to be a hub for U.S. and UK figures.
It's a Grade II National Heritage Listed Building, and its highlights include an entrance hall with neo-Adam plasterwork, a dining room with 18th-century French Rococo overdoor reliefs, and Neo-Georgian wrought iron stairs with scrolled decoration. Of course, the antique furniture is also immaculate. Despite its previous damage, the preservation is astounding.
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