At Six Park Place, home of the Royal Over-Seas League, historical grandeur and architectural elegance converge in a setting unlike any other. ROSL is formed of two architecturally distinct houses seamlessly joined as one, with Vernon House, an elegant residence built in 1835 and named after Admiral Edward Vernon, and Rutland House, a remarkable Georgian masterpiece designed by James Gibbs between 1734 and 1740. 

Commissioned by the Duchess of Norfolk, Rutland House stood in what was described as one of the finest locations in Europe- its front in the heart of town and its rear overlooking The Green Park. Today, it remains the sole surviving example of Gibbs’ fashionable London townhouses.

Inside, the house reveals distinctive interior features that set it apart. The original Crinoline Staircase, with its bowed spindles, was cleverly crafted to accommodate the sweeping hooped dresses of the 18th century, while the straight spindles on the upper floor mark the former servants’ quarters. Ingeniously, it even featured a letter carrier system delivering correspondence to a waiting page below. 

Equally striking is Gibbs’ marble cantilevered staircase, inspired by Palladian principles of light, proportion and harmony. Built in stone with an early wrought iron balustrade by smith Thomas Wagg, it remains a graceful architectural statement, truly unique by design.