Belgravia

Last year, we didn't appreciate so much the hotel where we've stayed in London. So, this year, we decided to look for another one. We chose the Best Western Victoria Palace Hotel , which revealed itself to be a great budget solution. Happily situated nearby Victoria Station, we were very close to
the beautiful and wealthy district of Belgravia.

Looking at the buildings around and specially when we were being led to our downstairs room (why do you think we got a good price for it?;-)), I could only think of Rose and Mr Hudson of the unforgetable Upstairs, Downstairs, a British television drama I used to watch on TV in the late seventies...

 


The episode I chose to remember this televison drama was "Guest of Honour" and I did it for a particular reason. As you may know, Edward VII was the king of the United Kingdom when the story of Upstairs, Downstairs began. In this episode, he is the guest of honour of Lady Marjorie Bellamy. Trying to guess who was the famous guest, the cook, Mrs Bridges, suggested, on minute 3.48, the name of a very important gentleman and close friend of the king, the Portuguese ambassador Marquês de Soveral (Marquess of Soveral), honored by Queen Victoria and considered London's most elegant gentleman.

I read that the father of Dame Eileen Atkins, one of the authors of Upstairs, Downstairs has worked as the under-chauffer of a Portuguese ambassador, and I wonder if it was Marquês de Soveral.

We were still talking about Upstairs, Downstairs, that evening, when we went for a very nice walk in Belgravia to admire the beautiful buildings and we passed by the house of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. A nice journey beginning, I thougt.

From Londres 2011

(the photo isn't good as it should, sorry.)