A ROTTING mansion which was once home to a king has been left abandoned after a very tragic twist.
The 17th century manor house in Stanwell village, Middlesex is just a stone’s throw away from Heathrow airport.
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Stanwell Palace, a once-majestic abode, welcomed a string of VIP guests including war heroes – and was even home to a king.
Composed of a manor house, tenant farms and other land, the buildings date all the way back to the 1800s.
In 1945, the area was even bought by a civil engineer, Sir John Gibson, who offered the place to officers during the war.
It soon turned into a hub for high-level political chats and even hosted meetings in the run up to D-Day and the Normandy invasion.
But most prestigious of all, the house became the home of King Faisal II of Iraq.
Faisal, who was just 13 years old at the time, bought the manor along with its surrounding 22 acres ahead of starting school at Harrow.
The young royal proceeded to spend a significant amount of time at the house, with neighbours joyously recalling his visits to the UK.
However, in 1958 he was tragically murdered in a coup in Iraq.
Following his death, Stanwell Place and its grounds were deserted with years of rich history left abandoned.
This comes as a historic mansion estate has been given a new lease of life following a long and varied journey dating back to the 16th century.
The South Yorkshire estate, known as Firbeck Hall, housed five families in its lifetime, as well as been a rehabilitation centre for miners, a country club, and an infirmary.
It has now been restored into 19 luxury apartments, on 33 acres of exclusive private land for residents.
The mansion was constructed by and home to William West, a lawyer and author from Rotherham, who opened it in 1594.
It was then passed through several generations of the West family until 1669, before being sold to various other owners up until the First World War.
At this time, the Firbeck Estate and Hall had been handed over to the Miles Trust set up by Francis Harriet Miles.
In 1914, it became a base for Belgium refugees fleeing the war before becoming a residential family property again.
Then in 1934, when it was bought by Cyric Nicholson, the 1500 acre estate was gutted of its original features and reopened as Firbeck Hall Club.
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