Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner in Central London is the London home of the Dukes of Wellington, although the house is named after the first owner, Lord Apsley. The house was given the popular nickname of Number One, London, since it was the first house passed by visitors who travelled from the countryside after the toll gates at Knightsbridge. It was originally part of a contiguous line of great houses on Piccadilly, demolished to widen Park Lane: its official address remains 149 Piccadilly.
Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington, gave the house and its most important contents to the nation in 1947, but by the Wellington Museum Act 1947 the right of the family to occupy just over half the house was preserved “so long as there is a Duke of Wellington”. The family apartments are now on the north side of the house, concentrated on the second floor.
The parts of the house open to the public are home to a rather impressive art collection. There are enormous statues, dinner services of more than one hundred pieces and portraits taking up much of the available wall space.
Photography is not allowed (and the stewards are vigilant!); the above two images came from Apsley House’s Instagram feed.
You can see more about the collection here.
This West London Life 
What a amazing history of the home & the Dukedom … I like that the family can still reside in part of the house; there’s something during these crazy times about the continuity of that (IMO). Where there photo postcards to purchase of the art?
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were there postcards … I think I need a big cup of tea!
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Haha, me too!
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There were postcards available, along with expensive books about the art collection.
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English Heritage certainly have a lot of lovely houses in their collection. Can you imagine actually living there?!
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I know, but can you imagine the heating bills!!
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