A 40-bedroom mansion in Regent’s Park, formerly owned by the Saudi royal family, has been sold for approximately £139 million, marking one of London’s largest property transactions. 

The Holme, a 2,694-square-metre (29,000-square-foot) estate situated on 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of gardens, lies adjacent to the park’s boating lake, near London Zoo and the US ambassador’s residence, Winfield House. Originally listed nearly two years ago with a price tag reportedly as high as £250 million, it was sold to a UK subsidiary of Zedra, a corporate services firm managing investments for affluent individuals. The buyer’s identity, however, remains unknown.

Previously owned by Prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, the property sold for £138.9 million—substantially less than initial estimates when it was listed in March 2023. The mansion, constructed in 1818, had been purchased on behalf of Prince Khaled and his family in 1991. It was later put on the market after the expiration of a loan secured against it.

The sale price rivals the £138 million reportedly paid for Aberconway House in Mayfair in late 2023 by Indian billionaire Adar Poonawalla, nicknamed the “vaccine prince” for his family’s extensive pharmaceutical operations.

The new ownership of The Holme is registered under a Zedra-controlled entity based in Luxembourg, according to the Financial Times. Despite UK laws requiring offshore property owners to disclose their ultimate beneficiaries, the actual owner remains obscured, as some entities exploit legal structures such as offshore trusts to conceal their identities.

The Holme, whose name originates from a Saxon term for a small island or elevated land surrounded by water, is owned by the Crown Estate—a historic portfolio of land and property belonging to the monarchy. The estate, however, was made available for purchase on a long lease. When it was marketed in 1988 for £30 million, the BBC described it as “possibly the world’s most expensive home” and “the ultimate desirable residence.”