Just in! Marquess of Downshire Scores at Sotheby's Sale!

Unlike the Earl of Devon, the Marquess of Downshire did very well at today's Sotheby's sale. As we previously reported, he was selling a document called "Engineering - The Draining of the Fens". The item had a guide price of ₤20,000-₤30,000, but it sold for a remarkable ₤35,000.

Well done!

It must be said that most items at today's sale went unsold, while others barely reached their minimum guide price. The market seems to be skewed towards buyers, so our aristo's would be advised to keep the family silver at home until the market recovers in their favor. But when you need the money, you need the money...

Earl Compton To Sell Tandridge and Chelsham Estates

Is The Aristo News turning into a real estate blog? We hope not!

Well, Earl Compton, the heir to the 7th Marquess of Northampton, is selling the Tandridge and Chelsham Estate in Surrey. The estate, which is listed by Savills, has a sale price of ₤25 million.

The estate is only half an hour from London and fourteen miles from Gatwick Airport. Not bad. Rent from the various farming enterprises on the estate stood at ₤350,000 for last year. The income from residential, commercial and farming property stands at ₤450,000 per year. There are 9 farmhouses, 25 cottages, woodland and many more features on this vast ₤25 million estate.

This may be a nice payday for the Earl in this environment and you do get a lot for your money. However, we can't help but wonder if the aristo's are starting to feel the credit crunch. Let's not forget that the 2nd Baron Hesketh's trustees just sold a painting for ₤1,161,250, which was ₤38,750 under the ₤1.2 million guide price.
If our aristo's continue to sell their prized works of arts and homes, what will be next? Their titles? Only time will tell...


For more information on Earl Compton's ₤25 million estate, click here and here.

Lady Victoria Hervey Steps Out

Lady Victoria, the older sister of the current 8th Marquess of Bristol, steps out at P. Diddy's annual White Party. To see her...interesting...ensemble, click here.

What's it like to be homeless? Don't ask the Marquis of Blandford.

People are still talking about the fact that the Marquess of Blandford (and heir to the current Duke of Marlborough) quit the BBC show FAMOUS, RICH AND HOMELESS. We think he should've have toughed it out, but we don't know if we could last three days and nights on the streets. Then again, that was the point of the program.

Don't worry, we'll keep you posted on the comings and goings of the Marquess of Blandford.

If you live in the UK and want to watch the program, click here.

Aristocrats Sell Items at Sotheby's

It seems the Earl of Devon isn't the only aristo with apparent financial woes...

As we've stated before, the Earl of Devon is parting with family treasures at Sotheby's July 14, 2009 sale. The Marquess of Downshire is also selling an engineering document entitled THE DRAINING OF THE FENS at this auction.
THE DRAINING OF THE FENS has a minimum guide price of ₤20,000. To see the item, click here.

Tomorrow (July 7, 2009), the trustees of the 2nd Baron Hesketh are selling Gabriel Metsu's painting entitled "A Woman Selling Game From A Stall". The minimum guide price is ₤1,200,000. Click here to see the item.

With these current sales, it makes us wonder if our aristo's are being beaten by the current financial crisis. We've heard that the art market it picking up, so maybe the aristo's are selling these items at the perfect time. We'll see.

The Aristo News won't be able to attend tomorrow's auction, but we'll keep you posted on the final sale price.

As for the July 14th auction, we'll keep you posted.

Aristo Facts

According to the Financial Times, Longleat, the ancestral of the Marquess of Bath, opened to the public for the first time on April 1, 1949. This was the first time an English country home was opened to the public. During the first year of operation, Longleat attracted 135,000 visitors.

To read the full article, click here.

July's Eligible Aristo Bachelor

Once a month, we'll list the most eligible aristo bachelor or bachelorette.

Our eligible aristo of July is:

Ceawiln Thynn, Viscount Weymouth.

Quick facts:
He divides his time between London and Moscow.
He works in the finance sector.
He tells the Daily Mirror (July 2, 2009) that he is seeing someone in Moscow, however, he isn't tied down...yet.
Viscount Weymouth is the heir of the current Marquess of Bath.