The deed for the purchase of a more than $6 million condo was made out to “His Majesty the King in Right of Canada.” So, of course, in New York’s closely watched real estate world, reports quickly emerged that Britain’s King Charles III had bought the lavish pied-à-terre. It wouldn’t be the first time that a suggestive name on a deed led to unfounded reports that a royal had bought a piece of Manhattan real estate.
The brand-new, three-bedroom apartment at 111 West 57th Street, located in a super tall and super skinny luxury tower connected to the landmark Steinway Hall, sold for $6.6 million in June, and was recorded with the city this week. A palace spokesman flatly denied that the condo had been bought by King Charles and pointed to a similar rumor involving a different property.
He may have been referring to the purchase in 2015 of a 2,600-square-foot condominium directly across from the United Nations for $7.9 million. That deed was issued to “Her Majesty the Queen in Right of New Zealand,” sparking speculation that Queen Elizabeth II had bought the unit at 50 United Nations Plaza.
(She hadn’t.) Both New Zealand and Canada are among the 56 independent countries that make up the Commonwealth, and real estate experts who track the Manhattan market say that it is not uncommon for the governments of Commonwealth countries to buy flashy condominiums — both as a home base for their diplomats and as a place where they can entertain and represent their countr.