Latest news with #PrinceArthur
India.com
08-08-2025
- Business
- India.com
Who owns Delhi's Connaught Place? The renowned place is named after…, rent prices at CP starts at Rs…
Who owns Delhi's Connaught Place? The renowned place is named after…, rent prices at CP starts at Rs… New Delhi has many notable places to visit, including Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, India Gate, and Rashtrapati Bhavan, which reflect the city's background and culture. It provides an opportunity for shopping, dining, or spending time with family and friends. These places make New Delhi an exciting, busy city. Connaught Place, in New Delhi, is popularly referred to as the heart of Delhi. It is a place that is alive 24 hours a day. For young individuals wanting to have fun, and for families wanting to shop, discover things, and eat at good restaurants, Connaught Place is everyone's first choice. This is why it is the heart of Delhi. But do you know the backstory of the development of Connaught Place? When, how, and why was it developed? Who decided to relocate the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi? In 1911, by the orders of King George V of Britain, it was decided to relocate the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. At that time, when New Delhi was made the capital, the area was largely a wild and undeveloped region. It was agreed to construct New Delhi on the model of London. Sir Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens were engaged as the architects of the city. They designed many significant buildings, e.g., Council House (Parliament House), Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), Kingsway (now Rajpath), and Connaught Place, inspired by Piccadilly Circus in London. After whom is Connaught Place named, and why? Several books stated that the design of Connaught Place was based on the Royal Crescent in Bath, London, which is semicircular. Previously, the entire area was wild and filled with wild animals. As the new city came to life, there were shiny roads, buildings, main roads, and large structures. And as the forests disappeared, eventually the British began to take over and settle. When was Connaught Place constructed? Connaught Place was constructed in 1929 by the British following plans created by architect Robert Tor Russell. It became popular under British colonial rule and is named after Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, a member of British royalty. Prince Arthur was the third son of Queen Victoria, and uncle of King George VI, and visited India in 1921 when the market was named in his honor during the colonial era. Connaught Place's unique circular design, radiating outwards, was inspired by Georgian architectural styles in Britain. Connaught Place (CP) is a sought-after commercial real estate area. It is separated into several blocks with different individuals or families as landowners in the blocks. The Government of India manages the land and general administration of Connaught Place, but the buildings within CP are privately owned. The individual ownership of shops/buildings varies, so there will be a lot of ownership diversity. Currently, the rents in Connaught Place are between Rs. 300 to Rs. 700 per square foot per month. But it was a different situation before independence. Most of these properties were rented at extremely low rents, usually at a few hundred rupees a month. Due to the Old Delhi Rent Control Act, many of these properties' rents have only been able to be raised a little, i.e,. around 10 per cent of the original amount. Therefore, even now, some shopkeepers pay very low rents as the actual market value of those properties has soared. According to media reports, the land and the majority of the buildings in the iconic CP, are owned by the Government of India. Management and maintenance are performed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). This means many of the buildings in Connaught Place are now owned by private families who have held on to them for several generations. In addition, while the architecture may speak of a colonial past and the rents echo the past, the energy and the vibe of the place are contemporary.
Hamilton Spectator
21-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Commissionaires marks a century of service to Canada
MEDIA RELEASE OTTAWA, Ontario, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Friday, July 25, Commissionaires Canada will celebrate its 100th anniversary. In 1925, the organization was founded to create meaningful employment for veterans returning home from the First World War. It has now grown into one of the country's most trusted security providers, and with approximately 3,500 veterans, it is Canada's largest employer of veterans. In 1859, Captain Sir Edward Walter established the original British Corps of Commissionaires in London, England to provide employment for wounded soldiers. The first eight members were veterans of the Crimean War, all amputees due to their battlefield service. In 1915, H.R.H. Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, then-Governor General of Canada, approached the Military Hospitals Commission to propose a Canadian version of the UK Corps. A decade later, that vision came to fruition. On July 25, 1925, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires was founded by Letters Patent in Montréal. Soon after, in 1927, the first three branches were established in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Commissionaires expanded its mandate in 1947 to include former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, reinforcing its commitment to supporting those who had dedicated their lives to national security. In 1950, following Newfoundland's entry into Canadian Confederation, the Corps established a presence in the new province. With this last Division to join, it solidified Commissionaires' operations nationwide. In the decades that followed, the Corps' workforce evolved. Female veterans and first responders were welcomed as commissionaires. In the 1990s, the Corps also began employing non-veterans to meet the rising demand for security services. Today, amid rapid growth and change, Commissionaires remains a not-for-profit with a social mandate, 'to provide meaningful employment that meets the needs of veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, their families and others who wish to contribute to the security and well-being of Canadians.' 'The Centennial is a celebration of our history and recognition of a powerful founding purpose,' said Gord Winkel, Commissionaires National Board Chair. 'Commissionaires was founded to serve those who served, and that commitment remains at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to carry that legacy forward as we support the changing needs of veterans and Canadian communities .' As technology advances, Commissionaires continues to evolve, enhancing the skillsets of its employees and providing new services. People may know the company for its traditional services such as guarding, but it now offers integrated services such as cybersecurity, surveillance, alarm response, fingerprinting, and background screening. To mark this historic occasion, special events span the 2025 year bringing together employees, clients, partners, and community members. In March, a commemorative dinner was held at the Montréal Eaton Centre's restored 9th floor space in which the design is set to the 1930s, a perfect nod to the Corps' beginnings. The T. Eaton Company Ltd was Commissionaires' first major private client. In June, a special evening was hosted at Ottawa's Fairmont Château Laurier during the company's Annual Meeting of Divisions. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, was in attendance and provided inspiring remarks. Other activities include flag-raising ceremonies at city halls, participation in various community parades (including recently at the Calgary Stampede), and on July 25 the CN Tower (Toronto) and the Provencher Bridge (Winnipeg) will be illuminated in Commissionaires orange and blue. All Canadians are invited to join the celebration by visiting a Commissionaires Centennial website ( for the latest updates. ABOUT COMMISSIONAIRES Commissionaires is Canada's premier security provider and largest employer of veterans. Founded on the core military values of dedication, responsibility, and a sense of mission, Commissionaires employs over 20,000 people from coast to coast to coast. It offers a wide range of integrated security services including professional guarding, monitoring and surveillance, threat risk assessment, non-core policing, cybersecurity, by-law enforcement, fingerprinting, background screening, investigations, and security training. Commissionaires is a completely self-funded, not-for-profit organization that serves a diverse range of public and private sector organizations. Quick Facts Media Inquiries Lisa Dionne Manager, Public Affairs & Communications Commissionaires National Office ldionne@ 613 219 7774 Commissionaires Social Media Links LinkedIn: Commissionaires Canada X (Twitter): @Commissionaires Facebook English Page: Commissionaires Canada Facebook French Page: Les Commissionnaires YouTube Channel: @Commissionaires1
India.com
01-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after..., rent at CP begins at Rs...
Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after..., rent at CP begins at Rs... Connaught Place, an iconic spot for the Delhiites, truly captures the heart of Delhi with its blend of historic charm and lively atmosphere. Whether it's shopping at Janpath, grabbing a bite at one of the many eateries, or just soaking in the buzz, Connaught Place has something for everyone. It is a perfect and favorite hangout. It is one of the largest business, financial, and commercial centres in Delhi. But who owns Connaught Place? Notably, Connaught Place is also commonly known as CP. Who is the owner of Delhi's Connaught Place? The iconic place is named after… In 1929, Connaught Place was constructed by the British. It was designed by architect Robert Tor Russell. The iconic place got its name from Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, a member of the British royal family. He was Queen Victoria's third son and the uncle of King George VI. In 1921, Prince Arthur visited India, and the market was subsequently named in his honor during the colonial era. Its distinctive circular layout with radiating roads draws inspiration from Georgian architectural styles in Britain. Connaught Place, a high-demand commercial real estate area, is divided into several blocks, each owned by different individuals or families. While the land and overall administration of Connaught Place are managed by the Government of India, the buildings within CP are privately owned. The ownership of individual shops and buildings varies, making the property landscape quite diverse. In the early days, many shops were established by traders who initially operated around the Kashmere Gate area. Notable names among them include Harnarain Gopinath (commonly known as Harnarains), Kanter's, Galgotia, and Snowhite. Some families even managed to lease numerous shops, with a few holding as many as 50 outlets. At present, the rent in Connaught Place ranges between Rs. 300 to Rs. 700 per square foot per month. But the scenario was different before independence. At that time, most of these properties were leased at very low rents—often just a few hundred rupees per month. Owing to the Old Delhi Rent Control Act, the rent for many of these properties could only be raised by a small margin—around 10 percent of the original amount. As a result, even today, some shop owners continue to pay very low rent, despite the fact that the actual market value of the properties has soared. As per media reports, the land and most of the buildings in the iconic CP are owned by the Government of India. The day-to-day maintenance and management responsibilities lie with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). As a result, many buildings in Connaught Place remain in the hands of private families, passed down through generations. While the architecture reflects a colonial past and the rents echo a long-gone era, the energy and vibe of the place are distinctly modern.
The Guardian
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Prince Arthur, London SW1: ‘Welcome to the bright new dawn of the turbo-bougie boozer' – restaurant review
The Prince Arthur is a fancy new restaurant in Belgravia that's rather hard to resist once you see the bones of what it has to offer. It has a Basque-born chef, Adam Iglesias, who has worked at Alameda near San Sebastián in Spain, as well as Brat, Barrafina and Sessions Arts Club in London. There you go: a plethora of foodie plus-points already. Then there's the fact that it's in a recently lavishly restored pub that feels a bit like an AI interpretation of the Queen Vic in EastEnders: there's a horseshoe bar, traditional wooden panelling, ales on tap, lots of standing room, a big TV screen for the sport and … wait! What? An iced seafood counter? Well, that'll be for the lobsters, carabineros, sea urchins and other fishy things to eat in the elegant, white table-clothed dining room just past the bar's standing area. Possibly you'll eat those urchins, or perhaps a devilled egg, topped with the Prince Arthur's in-house caviar, sourced via the London Caviar company. This place goes big on caviar, with 50g of Siberian baerii served with turbot-dripping potatoes and creme fraiche priced at £100. You'll have noticed that I have not called the Prince Arthur a gastropub, despite it clearly being gastronomical and being housed inside something resembling a pub. That's because we need a new name for this type of highfalutin hospitality venture. With pubs across the UK closing at a rate of knots, the days of publicans rebranding as simply 'one of them gastropubs' to survive are over. At one time, slinging a few £20 plates of beef cheek on polenta at customers and screwing a bottle of Aesop Resurrection hand soap to the toilet wall may have saved your soul, but not any more. Welcome to the bright new dawn of the turbo-bougie boozer. Yes, the Prince Arthur has the framework of a pub, with Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone beer on tap and pig's ear bar snacks and posh scotch eggs with mustard. But it is essentially a very sophisticated, Basque-influenced restaurant that serves txangurro crab, Galician beef rib and whole turbot with glossy, pale pil pil sauce, with torrijas and Basque cheesecake for afters. Please keep in mind that this is just downstairs; the new upstairs dining room promises to be even fancier. None of this, I must stress, is to my disliking. Ten minutes into lunch at this utterly lovable mega-posh pretend pub, and you will find yourself planning your return. From the first plate of gildas – skewered glossy olives, intricately folded anchovies and curls of green chilli pepper – I was smitten. These could be the world's best pintxo gildas, living their best lives in a back street near Victoria coach station. Then two neat squares of those fish-dripping potatoes with sea urchin, tuna and caviar. The devilled egg is a work of art: a boiled egg standing upright on the plate, its yolk creamed and piped back into it, then topped with more caviar. Suffice to say that by this point the bill was creeping up alarmingly, even though I could have balanced everything I'd eaten up to then on the back of a credit card. For mains, we shared that turbot, which was perfectly cooked and came with a world-class pil pil emulsification. A side of winter greens was disappointingly over-salted, though. Much better was a plate of wood-grilled pepper, a slimy, smoky mass of sweet, vivid, red loveliness. The Prince Arthur is by no means cheap, but it's worth it for a special occasion. The service is good, it's in a beautiful room with a fascinating clientele of Belgravia locals who certainly don't need to save the place for special occasions and, above all, the cooking is wonderful, especially if seafood is your thing. And, of course, there's that cheesecake, one of my favourite desserts ever, though I usually only ever eat it in summer, ideally in San Sebastián itself, where the temperature lends itself to a wander around the streets, pausing to eat wobbly, custardy, melting cheesecake out of a box. The Belgravia version was 99% there, and came with a thick winter berry sauce and enough caramelisation that I could almost feel the northern Spanish sun on my face. There's a lot to love about this restaurant, although, eventually, I fear, all surviving 'pubs' will be like the Prince Arthur. House caviar on the menu, £25 a pop carabinero prawns on the grill, Sky Sports on the big screen, and anyone remotely normally waged standing outside in the cold, staring through the window like Hans Christian Anderson's Little Match Girl, striking matches one by one while watching the world burn. The Prince Arthur 11 Pimlico Road, London SW1, 020-3098 6060. Open Tues-Sat, lunch noon-4pm, dinner 6-10pm; Sun noon-8pm. From about £70 a head for three courses, plus drinks and service The next episode of Grace's Comfort Eating podcast is out on Tuesday 18 March – listen to it here
