As the longest-reigning British Monarch, many would think that all the places where Queen Elizabeth II had and celebrated life milestones would become historical sites in the United Kingdom. But, this is not the case at all, considering that her actual birthplace is now an office block.
The List recently released a report about the matter, explaining why the area was not preserved. There are even other headlines, noting that it is a mystery how the place seemingly disappeared.
The publication said that the home, where the then-Duchess of York, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon gave birth to her first daughter, was allowed to disappear because she was never on the direct line of succession to become a British Monarch. Accordingly, it was not preserved in the same manner as to how the birthplaces of the previous monarchs were safeguarded and conserved.
Queen Elizabeth II, then-Princess Elizabeth, is the first child of the then-Duke and Duchess of York, who, later on, became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She was born in Mayfair, London, specifically at 17 Bruton Street.
It was not a palace nor a royal estate but, a townhouse belonging to her maternal Scottish grandparents. Reports said that they only lent it to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Albert, who had lived a modest life.
Things changed for the family, however, when King Edward VIII abdicated the British Throne in 1936. As a result, Prince Albert became the King of the United Kingdom, making her daughters direct heirs to the Crown, and they all relocated to Buckingham Palace.
Several speculations and theories emerged as to how and why 17 Bruton Street no longer stands today. Some even claim that Germans bombed the area during World War II, according to the National Post.
But, British Library documents show that the townhouse "no longer existed" before the war began. Hence, it is more, reportedly, likely that property developers were the ones who "wiped Queen Elizabeth II's first home off the map."
The publication continued that demolition of the property began in 1937. The same, also, happened to the neighboring buildings, adding that there were reports suggesting they were "20 of the most historic houses in London."
A surveyor's note from May 1939 declares the file of property as "closed." This is said to have confirmed the demolition of the house.
To date, reports stated that a massive nine-story office building stands in the area. It features different establishments on the ground floor, including restaurants and luxury car dealerships.
Experts, later on, revealed that the townhouse where Queen Elizabeth II was born survived, it would be worth over $33.6 million and even up to $134 million.
