LA VILLA WINDSOR

PARIS

Photography by Christophe Coënon, video by Patricia Burén

King Edward's bedroom in its original condition and color.

In the sixth issue of Sky Blue, we had the rare privilege of stepping inside the Villa Windsor, a storied home nestled within the Bois de Boulogne. Once the Paris residence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, this house has lived many lives, but the last time it truly captured the world’s attention was in 1997, when Princess Diana made what would be her final visit, the same day of her untimely death.

Joining us to document this extraordinary space were the gifted architectural photographer Christophe Coënon, and Patricia Buren, one of our favorite videographers. Together, they helped us capture the villa as it exists today, untouched by renovation and poised for a new chapter.

The Fondation Mansart team, who currently manages the home, greeted us warmly, guiding us through the villa’s grand rooms with a palpable reverence for its layered history. They pointed out intricate details—the delicate moldings, the stately fireplaces, the memories of lives lived within its walls. The villa remains closed to the public, but faint traces of its past linger, from the patina of its aging surfaces to iteam tags from the 1998 auction that effectively emptied the home of all furniture and decoration. Standing in its quiet empty halls, it felt as though time had paused, offering a rare glimpse into the villa’s storied past just before it turns toward the future, most likely to be open to the public as a museum..