Estate agents in the more affluent quarters of the French capital are battling to unearth a property gem in a bid to lure football superstar David Beckham and his fashion-savvy wife Victoria, according to industry insiders.

"/> Estate agents in the more affluent quarters of the French capital are battling to unearth a property gem in a bid to lure football superstar David Beckham and his fashion-savvy wife Victoria, according to industry insiders.

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PARIS

Paris estate agents battle to lure Beckhams

Estate agents in the more affluent quarters of the French capital are battling to unearth a property gem in a bid to lure football superstar David Beckham and his fashion-savvy wife Victoria, according to industry insiders.

Published: 19 December 2011 08:12 CET
Paris estate agents battle to lure Beckhams
Regular Daddy

Beckham has become a target for Paris Saint Germain with the club’s owners, Qatar Sport Investments (QSI), said to have offered the former England midfielder a lucrative deal to help turn their under-achieving side into one of Europe’s top clubs.

A fortnight ago reports from the capital said PSG had stepped up their bid by finding a school — the British School of Paris — in the outskirts of the capital for the three school-aged of his four children.

Now estate agents in and around the capital are in a race to find a property which suits both Beckham and his wife Victoria, who rose to fame as ‘Posh’ in the successful girl band the Spice Girls but who is now a respected fashion designer.

“Victoria Beckham visited a luxury townhouse in the Avenue Montaigne, in the fashion quarter, on the weekend of November 11th,” Marie-Helene Lundgreen, the head of Belles Demeures de France, told AFP.

The same company also offered to sell the Beckhams a luxury townhouse located at Place des Victoires in the fashion-conscious second arrondissement, which could house the whole family and allow Victoria Beckham to open her own designer store close by.

Agents have also been giving thought to Beckham’s need to be close to PSG’s training complex, the Camp des Loges, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye – a well-heeled suburb around 20km from the city centre.

Properties near the Camp des Loges have been found at nearby Marne-la-Coquette and Maisons-Laffitte.

Some agents, however, are counting on the Beckhams renting first.

Thibault de Saint-Vincent, president of the Barnes property group, has found what he believes to be a suitable rental property in the chic 16th arrondissement.

“I think they would probably want to rent at first,” said De Saint-Vincent.

“That’s why we are proposing a house of 1,500 square metres, with 1,500 square metres of land, in the 16th arrondissement costing 60,000 euros per month.”

Beckham played what may have been his last match for American club LA Galaxy in early December when the Major Soccer League champions beat Australian club Melbourne Victory 4-3 on penalties in an exhibition game.

He is said to be mulling another spell with the Galaxy, or other European options.


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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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