Villa Windsor, Paris: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s Home in the Bois de Boulogne
- QueenEco
- Jun 12, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: May 25
Nestled in the western part of Paris on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne and close to Neuilly-sur-Seine, Villa Windsor sits at the intersection of private residence and contemporary history.
Long a private and inaccessible estate, the villa briefly opened its gardens in 2024 when it hosted the Jardins, Jardin fair, traditionally held at the Tuileries during preparations for the Paris Olympic Games. The festival returned in 2025, establishing the site as part of its evolving landscape within the Bois de Boulogne.
This rare opening during the 2024 and 2025 editions of Jardins, Jardin led me to uncover micro-histories around Villa Windsor, unexpectedly revealing layers of Anglo-French entanglement that also connect back to my childhood memories in Hong Kong during the British colonial era and the royal world that shaped it.
Bois de Boulogne and Neuilly-sur-Seine: The Duke of Windsor in Paris
The Bois de Boulogne is a vast landscaped woodland on the western edge of Paris, forming a soft boundary between the capital and Neuilly-sur-Seine. While administratively part of Paris and the 16th arrondissement, its northern edge remains closely connected to Neuilly, where parkland and residential streets blend almost imperceptibly.
It is in this part of the Bois that Villa Windsor sits, adjacent to the quiet residential atmosphere of Neuilly-sur-Seine. It was here that the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, lived with Wallis Simpson for decades until his death in 1972.
For many Neuilléens, the former king was less a distant royal figure than a discreet neighbour living behind the trees, within walking distance of everyday life in Neuilly. This proximity was later reflected symbolically when Neuilly-sur-Seine became a twin city of the Royal Borough of Windsor in 1955, shortly after the Duke settled in Paris.
Originally named Château Le Bois, the villa was constructed between 1928 and 1929 by architect Roger Bouvard for Louis Renault. The choice of location reflected the growing appeal of the Bois de Boulogne as one of Paris’s most desirable residential and recreational edges during the interwar period. Set within a wooded garden of fourteen rooms, the residence embodied the discreet elegance of interwar Paris at the edge of the park.
It was sequestered by the French state after the Second World War and briefly occupied by Charles de Gaulle between 1945 and 1946, marking its transition from private residence into a place touched by national history.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor: A Royal Romance in Paris
A few years later, the villa’s history would take on a more public and widely remembered dimension, as it became home to one of the most famous royal couples of the 20th century.
From 1952 to 1986, the City of Paris leased the villa at a nominal rent to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Duke, formerly King Edward VIII of Britain, abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American socialite and divorcée Wallis Simpson, becoming the Duke of Windsor.
Under the Duchess’s supervision, the Parisian decorating firm Maison Jansen meticulously redecorated the home. The Duke and Duchess lived a life of relative ease, benefiting from several privileges. The French government exempted the Duke from paying income tax, and the couple could purchase duty-free goods through the British embassy and military commissary.
It was here that they both spent their final years. Their love story, celebrated as one of the most famous of the 20th century, captivated me as a child growing up in Hong Kong. My mother would tell me of a romantic king who chose love over the crown, a story that reappeared when I visited the villa in person, no longer distant imagination but something real within the same wider neighbourhood I now find myself in.
The Duke passed away in 1972 and the Duchess in 1986.
Queen Elizabeth II had also visited the villa shortly before the Duke’s death, accompanied by Prince Philip and Prince Charles.
Villa Windsor After the Windsors
The villa’s story did not end with the Windsors.
After the Duchess’s death, the City of Paris regained ownership of the house. Later that year, Mohamed Al-Fayed, the Egyptian businessman and former owner of Harrods, and father of Dodi Al-Fayed, Princess Diana’s companion, secured a long lease on the property and began an extensive restoration investment of around thirty million francs (approximately €4.5 million).
He renamed it Villa Windsor and transformed it into a carefully preserved historical residence. For his efforts, he was later made an Officier in the Légion d’honneur in 1989. Sydney Johnson, the former valet of the Duke, acted as curator during the restoration.
Princess Diana and Villa Windsor: Her Final Visit in Paris
Villa Windsor’s history extends to another royal chapter.
In August 1997, the villa was briefly visited by Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed, Mohamed Al-Fayed’s son.
Widely reported accounts state that the visit took place on 30 August 1997, just hours before their deaths in the early hours of 31 August 1997 in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
CNN reported that Al-Fayed had originally intended the villa as a home for his son Dodi and had planned an engagement lunch there for Dodi and Diana, which never came to pass.
The tragic accident that took Princess Diana’s life was widely reported in Hong Kong, and as a child I remember how striking the news felt at the time.
I did not realise that Villa Windsor held such a poignant link to her story.
Thanks to Jardins, Jardin 2024, I was able to visit the gardens of the villa, which led me to this continuing research and a return visit in 2025.
The Sotheby’s Auction of Villa Windsor’s Possessions
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s possessions were auctioned in February 1998 at Sotheby’s in New York. The sale featured more than 40,000 objects and lasted nine days. The collection included deeply personal items such as the desk at which Edward had abdicated in 1936, a large archive of photographs, and a doll given to Edward by Queen Mary.
It raised approximately $23 million, more than three times the estimated value. It was reported that members of the British royal family may have anonymously purchased several of the items.
The proceeds were directed to charitable foundations associated with the late Princess of Wales.
Villa Windsor Restoration and Future Public Access
The mansion has never been open to the public, but it is set to undergo an ambitious restoration, with timelines adjusted over time.
As of today (May 2026), the villa remains closed to the public. However, during the upcoming Jardins, Jardin 2026, visitors with tickets will be able to reserve guided tours to view the ongoing restoration work.
A Hidden Vineyard Beside Villa Windsor, Paris
While visiting Jardins, Jardin 2024 and waiting in line for the Iris of Chanel exhibition, I stumbled upon a hidden gem: Paris’s only private vineyard.
Nestled beside Villa Windsor, the Domaine de la Vigne de Paris-Bagatelle is located at 10 route du Champ d’Entraînement in the Bois de Boulogne. Planted in 2004, it comprises 27 rows and approximately 400 vines of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. The vineyard was established as a private estate and is known to have produced a very limited quantity of sparkling wine using traditional methods.
The vineyard has historically produced a small annual yield of around 200 to 300 bottles.
The small vineyard adds another dimension to the landscape around Villa Windsor.
Through Jardins, Jardin, a forgotten childhood memory in Hong Kong unfolds once again in Paris, anchored in place.
The festival is an annual event for those who appreciate a slower, garden-centred way of life. Even without a garden of your own, it is worth coming simply to appreciate the flowers, the atmosphere, and the slower rhythm it gently invites.
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