Coppins

Coppins is a mid-19th-century country house located north of the village of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England. Originally built as a farmhouse by John Mitchell, it gained prominence as a royal residence after being bequeathed by Princess Victoria to her nephew, Prince George, Duke of Kent, upon her death in 1935.^[1]^[2] The house served as the primary country home for Prince George and his wife, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, who moved in around 1936 following renovations, and remained so for their family after Prince George's death in a 1942 plane crash.^[1]^[2] It was where their three children—Prince Edward (later Duke of Kent), Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael—grew up, hosting family life and royal events. The house continued as a royal residence when Prince Edward and his wife, the Duchess of Kent, moved in after their 1961 marriage, until the family vacated in 1972.^[1]^[2]^[3] In 1972, Coppins was sold to Commander Eli Gottlieb and has since been maintained as a private residence by individual or family trust ownership.^[3] Architecturally, Coppins features early 20th-century extensions to its original farmhouse structure, reflecting its evolution from a modest estate to a comfortable royal retreat, though it is not open to the public.^[1] Its royal associations, spanning two generations of the Kent branch of the House of Windsor, underscore its place in British aristocratic history, with notable photographic records from the era capturing family moments in its gardens and interiors.^[4]^[2]

Location and Description

Geographical Setting

Coppins is a country house situated north of the village of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England, at coordinates approximately 51.52581° N, 0.50933° W.^[5] This positioning places it in a rural setting characterized by countryside landscapes, meadows, and wooded areas, contributing to its secluded and natural environment.^[6] The property lies within the historic county of Buckinghamshire, near the border with Greater London, offering a blend of pastoral tranquility and accessibility to urban centers.^[1] Approximately 7 miles northeast of Windsor Castle, Coppins benefits from its proximity to this major royal landmark, facilitating easy connections within the region's network of historic estates.^[7] In 1972, the estate encompassed about 130 acres of land, including the house, farmhouse, and surrounding blocks, as detailed in the sale particulars.^[8] This scale reflected its role in the broader landscape of royal-associated properties near Windsor Great Park, though the estate's boundaries have since been adjusted through subsequent transactions.^[6]

Architectural Features

Coppins was originally constructed in the mid-19th century as a farmhouse by John Mitchell, embodying basic farmhouse architecture characteristic of Victorian rural England.^[2] The structure featured simple, functional design suited to agricultural life, with modest proportions and practical layouts. The house underwent significant modifications in 1925 upon acquisition by Princess Victoria, transforming it from a working farmhouse into a comfortable country residence. These alterations included expansions such as additional wings and updated facilities to enhance residential comfort, particularly for royal occupancy, while preserving its vernacular charm.^[9] The house is a long, low, cream-painted structure with ivy-covered walls, gabled roofs, and traditional English countryside aesthetics, avoiding elaborate Gothic or neoclassical elements that might have been added in more grandiose estates. The overall style reflects restrained Victorian influences, with red brick elements evident in associated structures like the entrance lodge.^[10]^[3] Interiors were adapted for family living, featuring functional spaces such as drawing rooms, bedrooms, and informal sitting areas, emphasizing practicality over opulent grandeur seen in larger royal palaces. These rooms incorporated period details like fireplaces and picture rails, maintaining a cozy, lived-in atmosphere suitable for extended stays.

History

Origins and Early Development

Coppins was constructed in the mid-19th century, circa 1850, as a working farmhouse in the rural area north of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England.^[6]^[1] The property was built by John Mitchell, a Bond Street bookseller and theatrical impresario known for arranging theatre visits for Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales.^[11]^[1] From its inception, Coppins served as an agricultural holding, supporting local farming activities in the surrounding countryside of arable fields and woodlands.^[1] Encompassing approximately 130 acres, it functioned as a modest rural dwelling without significant expansions, sales, or documented events during this period.^[6] The estate remained unaltered and in private hands as a standard farmhouse until the early 20th century, when growing royal interest culminated in its acquisition by Princess Victoria in 1925.^[12]

Royal Acquisition and Modifications

Following the death of Queen Alexandra on 20 November 1925, her daughter Princess Victoria—second child of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra—acquired Coppins, a modest mid-19th-century farmhouse in Iver, Buckinghamshire, transforming it into her private country retreat.^[13] This acquisition marked a pivotal shift for the property, which had previously served agricultural purposes on a larger estate.^[14] In 1925, Coppins underwent structural modifications to adapt it for royal occupancy, including the addition of a formal driveway, lodge, and expanded gardens to enhance privacy, comfort, and aesthetic appeal suitable for a member of the British royal family.^[14] These changes, evident in 1930s Ordnance Survey maps, elevated the simple farmhouse into a more secluded and refined residence while preserving its rural character.^[14] Upon Princess Victoria's death on 3 December 1935 at age 67, she bequeathed Coppins to her nephew, Prince George, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George V; the Duke and his family took up residence there in 1936 following further renovations.^[13]^[15] The property then became the Kent family's primary country home, where they resided until 1973.^[6] During the war, Coppins functioned as a secure family retreat near Windsor Castle, enduring occasional nearby air raids but requiring no major further alterations due to resource shortages and security priorities; it was here that the Kents' third child, Prince Michael, was born on 4 July 1942.^[6]^[16]

Post-Royal Ownership

Following the conclusion of its long association with the British royal family, which dated back to the 1920s, Coppins was sold in 1973 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, to Commander Eli Gottlieb, thereby ending the royal tenure at the estate.^[17]^[1] This transaction transitioned the property into private ownership, with Gottlieb acquiring it as a personal residence. The sale occurred amid a period of significant appreciation in property values across Buckinghamshire and the wider United Kingdom, where average house prices rose by over 343% during the 1970s due to economic expansion, eased credit conditions, and limited supply.^[18]^[19] Coppins was subsequently resold in 1977 to new private owners for £500,000, at which point the estate had been reduced in size from its previous extent. Since then, it has remained a private residence under individual or family trust ownership, with no public access permitted and no further notable transactions recorded as of 2025.^[1]

Notable Associations

Royal Residents

Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, established Coppins as her principal residence in 1925 after her mother's death, adapting the mid-19th-century farmhouse to her personal tastes and integrating deeply into the local Iver community through involvement in village affairs and horticulture. She made significant modifications to the property during her decade-long stay, which provided her with independence after years in her mother's shadow. Victoria passed away at Coppins on 3 December 1935.^[20] In her will, Princess Victoria left Coppins to her favored nephew, Prince George, Duke of Kent—the fourth son of her brother King George V—and his wife, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, whom she had grown close to following their 1934 marriage. The couple relocated to the house in 1936 with their infant son, Prince Edward, transforming it into a welcoming family environment distinct from the grandeur of palaces like Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace. Prince George, an active naval and air force officer, used Coppins as a personal retreat until his death in a wartime plane crash on 25 August 1942, after which the property passed to his young son.^[17]^[6]^[2] Widowed at 35, Princess Marina remained at Coppins as guardian to her children, raising Prince Edward (who became Duke of Kent in 1942), Princess Alexandra, and the newborn Prince Michael—delivered at the house on 4 July 1942 amid the ongoing war. The estate functioned as a secluded haven for the Kent family, fostering a sense of normalcy and privacy amid royal duties, with Marina overseeing a scaled-back household to manage finances strained by her husband's loss of income. Prince Edward maintained the property through his childhood and early adulthood, cherishing it as a symbol of family continuity until its sale in 1972.^[4]^[16]^[17]

Significant Events and Visitors

Coppins played a vital role as a secure family retreat during World War II, offering the Kent family a private sanctuary in Buckinghamshire amid the threats of aerial bombardment in London. The estate's secluded location and distance from urban centers made it an ideal bolthole, allowing Princess Marina and her children to maintain a degree of normalcy without hosting major public or ceremonial events, preserving its character as a personal refuge.^[6] A pivotal event occurred on 4 July 1942, when Princess Marina gave birth to her third child, Prince Michael of Kent, at Coppins, marking a moment of joy during the hardships of wartime.^[16] The prince's arrival underscored the estate's importance as a family home, where the duchess raised her children following the tragic death of her husband, Prince George, Duke of Kent, earlier that year. Prior to the war, Coppins welcomed notable visitors, including the young Prince Philip of Greece, who stayed there during school holidays from 1937 to 1940 while training at Gordonstoun and later Dartmouth Naval College. As a relative of the Kent family through shared royal connections, his visits highlighted the estate's role in fostering familial ties among European royalty. In 1944, as the war neared its end, Coppins hosted King George II of Greece, Princess Marina's first cousin, during his exile from Nazi-occupied Greece; he resided there briefly, seeking respite and support from British royal relatives. This stay exemplified the estate's function as a temporary haven for displaced monarchs, though such visits remained discreet due to the ongoing conflict.