A private box at the Royal Albert Hall has been put up for sale for £550,000. The box, which can seat five people, is located on the second tier of the Grade I listed building in Kensington, central London, which opened in 1871. The private box is the only remaining one in the hall to retain the original timber veneer and mirrored panels, estate agent Harrods Estates said.
Earl Spencer and the Duke of Devonshire have previously owned the box, but the current owner has not been revealed. The box is located on the eastern side of the auditorium and has about 865 years remaining on the lease.
When the building was being constructed in the 19th Century, several seats were offered for sale to private individuals on a 999-year lease. Queen Victoria bought 20 of the 1,300 privately-owned seats for £100 each, in addition to the Queen’s box. The seats and the box, located on the Grand Tier, are still owned by the monarchy.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.
