Wintour is coming! A Manhattan townhouse, a huge Long Island estate – and now Vogue queen Anna is hunting for a London home near her friend Bill Nighy, too
Wintour is coming! A mansion in Manhattan, a huge estate on Long Island – and now Vogue queen Anna is also looking for a home in London, near her boyfriend Bill Nighy
- Dame Anna, 73, has told friends she is looking for a permanent home in the capital
She has been the doyenne of New York society since taking over as editor of American Vogue in 1988.
But now Dame Anna Wintour seems ready to re-embrace her British roots and is actively house hunting in London, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
Dame Anna, 73, who famously inspired Meryl Streep’s discerning editor in The Devil Wears Prada, has told friends she is looking for a permanent home in the capital as well as properties in the upmarket areas of West and North -London watched.
The Hampstead-born magazine icon, owner of an imposing four-story mansion in Manhattan and a 42-acre estate on Long Island, spent much of this summer in London enjoying tennis at Wimbledon and dining out with close friend , Love Actually star Bill Nighy.
A friend in New York said: ‘Anna spends a lot of time crossing the Atlantic, but she is now looking for a permanent base in London.
Dame Anna (left), 73, spent much of this summer in London, enjoying tennis at Wimbledon and dining out with good friend, Love Actually star Bill Nighy (right)
Her children have grown up and, instead of stopping work, she is busier than ever.
“She talked about looking for a house in London.
“Her only requirement is that the new house has a tennis court or is close to it. Tennis is her passion.’
While a spokesperson for Conde Nast publishing last night said there was “absolutely no truth,” she is actively house hunting, but Dame Anna’s friends claim there is.
“It’s one hundred percent true. She loves London and plans to spend even more time in the city,” someone said.
Wintour was educated at the fee-paying North London Collegiate School, while her father Charles was a longtime editor of the London Evening Standard and helped her get a job at the influential Biba boutique when she was fifteen.
Her return to London comes as British Vogue editor Edward Enninful – once seen as her heir – moves up to another position within the company.
The source said: “Anna loves her job more than ever.
She plans to spend more time in Britain and will oversee not only British Vogue but all European issues.
‘Anna becomes the undisputed boss. She has challenged many rivals and continues to do so.’
Dame Anna, who famously inspired Meryl Streep’s fastidious editor in The Devil Wears Prada, owns a 42-acre estate on Long Island (pictured)
The Hampstead-born magazine icon owns an imposing four-story mansion in Manhattan (pictured)
Last week, Dame Anna announced Vogue World, a UK version of New York’s prestigious Met Gala, which will launch this month’s London Fashion Week.
Celebrities join opera stars and ballerinas in raising millions for London’s arts scene.
A house in London would bring her closer to 73-year-old Nighy. The actor, who lives in Pimlico, accompanied her to this year’s Met Gala, but his spokesperson said: “Bill and Anna have been just friends for 20 years. They have no relationship.’
A source said: ‘Everyone is talking about how famously icy Anna can be, but she’s been lovely lately. Her mood seems to improve when she’s in London.’