A former London embassy, where Mussolini’s fascist government hosted suspected Nazi sympathiser Prince Edward and his wife Wallis Simpson in the 1930s, has been put up for sale for the first time.

The property in Belgravia, one of the most expensive areas in London, housed the Italian Embassy from 1923 until it was converted into a private residence in 2009.

During that time the dictator’s Ambassador to London Count Dino Grandi welcomed notables, including Edward, before he became King in 1936, Miss Simpson, Lady Alexandra Curzon, Diana Mitford, ‘Fruity’ Metcalfe and ex-Prime Minister Lord Lloyd George.

The six-bedroom Grade II-listed house, originally built between 1900 and 1901, has now hit the market for a whopping £21.5million.

The 7,948 square-foot haven boasts a terraced garden, a gated private driveway and a porter’s lodge. 

A former London embassy (pictured), where Mussolini’s fascist government hosted suspected Nazi sympathiser Prince Edward and his wife Wallis Simpson in the 1930s, has been put up for the sale for the first time

The property in Belgravia, one of the most expensive areas in London, housed the Italian Embassy from 1923 until it was converted into a private residence in 2009

Edward VIII encouraged the Nazis to bomb Britain into submission in World War Two and crown him as King (pictured: the then former king Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson meeting Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in 1937)

The former king, who abdicated in 1936 to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson, also passed information to Germany that aided the fall of France in 1940, according to a documentary

The historic townhouse also features a spacious entrance hall as well as three reception rooms, a family kitchen and breakfast room, a cinema room, fitness studio, and a passenger lift.

A future owner will also have access to an underground car park with two allocated parking bays and even the services of a 24-hour porter.

Count Dino attempted to force through peace between Italy and Britain but was thwarted by Mussolini, who brought him home to become Minister of Justice throughout World War Two.

After 1945 the townhouse-mansion became the Embassy Office of the Italian Defence Attaché. 

Director at Beauchamp Estates Rosy Khalastchy said: ‘The former Italian Embassy and Defence Attaché building in Lygon Place which is now a mansion for sale is part of a massive £3 billion sale of former Embassies and other diplomatic buildings which has taken place in Central London over the last 20 years. 

‘After World War Two diplomatic missions in London owned large portfolios of expensive property in some of London’s best addresses. 

‘Over the last 20 years countries have realised they are sitting on a property “gold mine” which is why gradually the diplomatic estates have been sold off.

‘Just like the Italian diplomatic building in Lygon Place, the former Brazilian Embassy on Green Street in Mayfair was sold for a reported £40 million, and it is now a refurbished and enlarged mansion owned by the Qatari Royal Family.

During that time the dictator’s (pictured in 1939) Ambassador to London Count Dino Grandi welcomed notables, including Edward, before he became King in 1936

In 1937, Edward and Wallis, met Hitler and his officials during a tour of Germany. Whilst there, Edward was infamously photographed giving a Nazi salute (above)

‘Currently there are a total of 163 embassies and other diplomatic buildings in Central London, the most popular locations being addresses close to Buckingham Palace, N.10 Downing Street and Hyde Park. 

‘The top-five addresses in London for embassies in rank order are Kensington, with 37 embassies, then Belgravia and Marylebone, both with 23 embassies each, followed by Westminster with 18 embassies and Mayfair with 15 embassies.’ 

Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson after being King for less than a year.

Recent documentaries have suggested the former monarch encouraged the Nazis to bomb Britain into submission in World War Two and crown him as King. 

A Channel 4 programme, Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King, aired in 2022 and was based on the work of historian Andrew Lownie.

The documentary detailed how the Duke gave information on weaknesses in the French military to a Nazi informant. 

The former King was living in Paris and had written four reports on the French First Army describing its poor leadership and morale.

The reports were ignored by British officials but captured German diplomatic cables showed that Edward then gave the information to his close friend, Nazi informant Charles Bedaux.

The subsequent German invasion of France targeted the weaknesses Edward had identified.

During the invasion, Edward and Mrs Simpson fled to Lisbon, Portugal where they socialised with German agents and sympathisers.

In another captured diplomatic cable from the German ambassador to Portuguese authorities, the Duke is said to have told representatives of Francoist Spain that ‘continued severe bombing would make England ready for peace’.

Then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill removed the Duke from Europe, making him the Governor of the Bahamas.

While travelling there, Edward sent a coded telegram to a Nazi associate saying he was willing to return to Europe.

Dr Lownie argues that this indicates Edward was aware of Operation Willie, the German plan to put the Duke back on the throne as the head of a puppet state. 

The documents used by Dr Lownie as evidence have been in the Royal Archives for decades but a policy change allowed greater access for researchers with new documents emerging.

Then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill removed the Edward from Europe, making him the Governor of the Bahamas

Former Prime Minister Lord Lloyd George (pictured) also paid visits to the Italian Embassy at the time

Diana Mitford (pictured circa 1934), also known as Lady Mosley after her marriage to fascist Sir Oswald Mosley, was welcomed into the townhouse in Belgravia

In 1937, Edward and Wallis, met Hitler and his officials during a tour of Germany.

Whilst there, Edward was infamously photographed giving a Nazi salute and later also toured industrial facilities and even a concentration camp, whose guard towers were said to have been explained to him as meat stores.

The former king was reported to have said as late as 1941 that Hitler was the ‘right and logical leader of the German people’.

Benito Mussolini, the dictator who wanted to revive the Roman empire 

Benito Mussolini, who styled himself Il Duce, came to power in a 1922 coup when he led his followers in a march on Rome.

He allied himself with other European Fascist leaders including Adolf Hitler and Spain’s General Francisco Franco, sending troops to fight in the Spanish Civil War that overthrew the 2nd Republic.

Mussolini dreamed of refounding the Roman Empire, and launched a series of conquests in Africa, including that of Ethiopia, then uncolonised and ruled by King Haile Sellasie.

Mussolini held off joining the Axis side in World War II until after the Nazi conquest of France.

When the allies invaded Italy from North Africa in 1943, Mussolini was quickly ousted the way he came in, by a coup, with the new government promptly switching sides in the war.

He was imprisoned in the Campo Imperatore Hotel on the Gran Sasso massif in the Central Italian mountains, but was freed in a raid by Italian paratroopers ordered by Hitler himself.

Mussolini met his end in the closing days of the war when he was captured by communist partisans while trying to flee to neutral Switzerland with his his mistress Clara Petacci.

The two were taken to the city of Milan and executed on April 25. Citizens spat on and mutilated their bodies before they were hung upside down from lamposts.