We live by Ghislaine Maxwell’s house where Prince Andrew was ‘photographed with girl’ – now it’s undergoing major change
GHISLAINE Maxwell’s house where Prince Andrew is accused of being photographed with a 17-year-old girl is getting a major revamp.
Neighbours of the home, which sits on London‘s Kinnerton Street, say they’ve been watching scaffolding pop up while construction workers stream in and out.
They say the home was scooped up for cheap as it’s said to be where the infamous photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, was taken.
Now, the new owners – thought to be a developer – are said to be putting a heap of work into renovating the home.
The mysterious snap of the prince was said to have been taken by disgraced paedo financier Jeffrey Epstein in March 2001, while Maxwell owned the house.
It was reportedly taken the same night the prince is alleged to have had sex with the teen at the Belgravia pad.
The Duke of York, now 63, has always claimed the photo is fake and that he never met Giuffre – but it was this image that is said to have seen him come undone.
It’s claimed the home was sold two years ago in an attempt to pay Maxwell’s legal bills as she was found guilty of child sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
It was said to have sat empty for years until the 61-year-old sold it for £1.75million.
Wendy Howard, 57, a management accountant who has worked on Kinnerton Street for ten years, said the new owners were giving the home’s interior a revamp.
She told The Sun: “I know they sold the property fairly quickly and for a discount.
“I’m surprised, it’s not really the type of house anyone would want to buy. It really has the wrong associations.
“Personally, I thought the whole situation was seedy and very disappointing.”
This week it appeared as though much of the home’s roof had also been removed.
Inside, the famous staircase – where Prince Andrew was apparently pictured – still stands strong and can be seen through the front door.
Photographs released via agents at the time the property was put on the market showed it was in dire need of a revamp.
The bathroom and kitchen both had dated units, while its terrace seemed grubby and uncared for.
I know they sold the property fairly quickly and for a discount.
Wendy Howard
But in the wake of the US Court Cases, and the mysterious photo, Local Wendy said the home attracted visitors.
She said: “You do see some tourist groups going past, but it’s not very well known that Maxwell used to live around here.
“Sometimes you see people filming or making documentaries, so sometimes people ask about the house, but not too often.”
Malcolm Swalwell, 69, now retired, who has lived on Kinnerton Street for 40 years, added: “Sometimes you would see cars pulling up, but never that many that you would notice or was obtrusive.
“Sometimes you see tourists on the street and a few people filming or making documentaries. But generally people don’t know that Maxwell lived there.”
Matt Audino, 30, who works at the Milton Arms on Kinnerton Street, said the home still seemed to attract visitors.
He said: “Some people who come into our pub, mainly locals or tourists from the nearby hotels, are familiar with the name of the street because they know about the apartment.
“But generally it’s a very quiet street, there is very little traffic here. I very rarely hear customers commenting on the fact that Maxwell lived here.
“I guess that it is because most of the people who visit here are tourists and they may not know the context around this street.
“When people ask me where I work, and I say along Kinnerton Street, most people don’t know, they don’t realise the significance of the street.”