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NOTABLE HOUSES Prince Edward and Lillie Langtry riversea - 1920s - 1930s


According to her Wikipedia entry “The Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (“Bertie”, later Edward VII), arranged to sit next to Langtry at a dinner party given by Sir Allen Young on May 24, 1877. (Her husband Edward was seated at the other end of the table.) Although the Prince was married to Princess Alexandra and had six children, he was a well-known philanderer. He became infatu- ated with Langtry and she soon became his semi-official mistress. She was presented to the Prince’s mother, Queen Victoria. Eventually, a cordial relationship developed between Langtry and Princess Alexandra. The affair lasted from late 1877 to June 1880. The Prince once complained to Langtry, “I’ve spent enough on you to build a battleship”, whereupon she tartly replied, “And you’ve spent enough in me to float one”. Some accounts say that their relationship finally cooled when she misbehaved at a dinner party; others that she was eclipsed by the arrival of the French actress, Sarah Bernhardt, who came to London in June 1879.”


Caption here Caption here Caption here Caption here Caption here rYs ‘britannia’ in front of the house in 1939


1936


management, until 1949. two people, still alive, who were children living at the house during WWII remember a shaft that led down from the ‘courtroom’ to a tunnel that erupted into a fishing store on the quayside below the house. the shaft was used as shelter when german bombers would attack up the Dart. the shaft has not yet been found although it is hoped


to do so during the current renovation of the property. One of those children admitted being to scared as a boy to go down it, but does remember its other end in the storage ‘cave’ that was built into the sea wall


It is commonly accepted that Prince Albert stayed at Riversea with his mistress Lily Langtry


upstream from the boathouse. this space was deep enough to lay a yacht mast. During the course of the latter half of the 20th century the coach house was sold off (riversea Cottage) as was the kitchen garden (as land to build Crosstrees). the current owner’s family


bought riversea in 1978. However, half the garden was retained by the previous owner (Johnny Johnson) on which was built Farthings, the current house next door. When riversea was built, it enjoyed expansive grounds as did many of these Victorian properties lining the river sides. One could drive to the front door of riversea along an elm-lined driveway.


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