London: Where Diana’s secret perfume and Churchill’s cigars are stored

“Do you want to know how Queen Elizabeth II smelled?” Asks the seller. Sure, who doesn’t want that? Alex – well -fitting suit, well -groomed appearance, pomade in the dark hair – sprays the fragrance “White Rose” on a test card, waving briefly in the air and lets those present sniff. It smells like – violets. And something heavier underneath, maybe sandalwood, and sweet powder. An uncomplicated fragrance from a time when the world was simpler. “White Rose”, creates in 1837, was the favorite place of her majesty, says Alex. Queen Elizabeth even wore it when she married Prince Philip in November 1947.

At Floris, London’s oldest and most exclusive perfumery, they tell many such stories. By Marilyn Monroe, for example, who could be sent to Beverley Hills for six bottles of the Floris Geranium Rose fragrance. From regular customer Ian Fleming, who made his favorite fragrance Floris 89 into that of his fictional agent 007 and thus immortal. And David Bowie, who was a fan of Floris Elite – Grapefruit, Lavendel, Cedar, Vetive, Leather, Patchouli.

The historical fragrance mixer Floris is just one of many shops in the London Jermyn Street that can have such illustrious customers. The German photographer Horst Friedrich, a fan has always been all the urbritic, has now dedicated an entire book to this and many other unique London shops. It simply means: “Fine shops” and makes you want a stroll through London.

Not too many tourists get lost in the fine district of St. James, although he starts right behind the loud Piccadilly Circus. The Jermyn Street hugs the back of the Delicatesse Temple Fortnum & Mason; A traditional establishment lines up to the other, easily recognizable on the golden lettering over the shop fronts in dark wood. There is Rowley’S, according to the newspaper “Daily Telegraph” “Perhaps the finest steak-and-french restaurant in the country”, or Franco’S, founded in 1945 and supposedly London’s first Italian, with star chef and a fantastic bar.

Between shirts, cheese shops and gentlemen’S clubs are also Floris here. The perfumery, founded in 1730 by Juan Famenias Floris and his wife Elizabeth, a couple from Menorca, was originally a barber. Soon the entrepreneurial Spaniards noticed that the big money was more likely to be made with scents and relegated to perfumes. At that time, the seller Alex, explained that the seller Alex, were unisex and a single strong note – after all, it was all about putting on the pitiful stench of the london of those days.

In the small museum behind the sales room, Alex shows the coveted “Royal Warrants”, which Floris distinguishes as court suppliers of the British royal family since George IV. Princess Diana had her own fragrance mixed here, the composition of which remains strictly secret decades after her death. If you want to have your personal floris fragrance tailor, you will have 860 euros, the service for couples costs 1440 euros.

Not far from Floris, in St. James’S Street number 11, London’s oldest pharmacy. In 1790 Henry Harris and his cousin, the pharmacist Daniel Rotely Harris, opened her business. They called themselves “Dr Harris”, probably in the hope that the initials suggested a real doctorate among the owners. Henry was a surgeon, but at the time it enjoyed the reputation of barber than from doctors.

The plan of the two apparently worked, because Dr Harris is still a renowned pharmacy and drugstore. Tourists who send Google Maps in search of aspirin or plasters to Dr Harris can be found in a miracle world of wall -filling, polished wood shelves in which shaving foam, soaps, brushes, combs, creams, water and tinctures are piled up with old -fashioned names and labels. It smells of almond aroma, Eau de Cologne and herbs. At DR Harris, among other things, there are curious things like “soap on a rope”, soap on the rope, an English invention from the seventies, today smiled at and yet surprisingly practical in showers without soap shell.

The predominantly male clientele swears by the in -house shaving foam. The royal family is also with Dr Harri’s regular customer, says owner Julian Moore. For decades, the shop had the “Royal Warrant” of Queen Elisabeth II, a year ago son King Charles Dr Harris awarded his own court supplier status. Has Moore ever sighted a royal in his shop? Moore laughs. “For something like that, they have employees.”

The lavender water, which the famous Dandy and writer Oscar Wilde bought here, still exists-as well as the “pick-me-up”, a herbal schnapps that is supposed to help against hangover, and therefore probably really came. Some problems are timeless.

Also a few doors, at the cigar dealer James J. Fox, Oscar Wilde had a customer account. There, however, he is overshadowed by the most undoubtedly most famous cigar smoker in the world – Great Britain’s former Premier Winston Churchill.

Smoking, especially cigars, is now about as politically correct as the Indian sculptures that are in the retailer’s sales room. At JJ Fox, as the regular customers just call the shop, you can even get a cigar in the smoking salon above the business premises – almost the last interior of London, where this is still legal. However, there is also an absolute ban on smoking for nasty cigarette smokers.

Cigars are investment objects such as wine or art. When it comes to proper storage, their value increases, explains marketing director Dave, so buyers can have the really valuable copies store here in the shop. JJ FOX’s walk -in humidor is therefore a safe and is accordingly well secured. Here, cigars with a value of 15 euros store the piece, vintage editions such as the Cohiba Behike 56 cost a good 800 euros per cigar, vintage Davidoffs even 1150 euros. Winston Churchill’s favorite cigar “Vitola” of the Cuban brand Romeo Y Julieta is comparatively inexpensive at 65 euros each. People buy here who, next door at John Lobb, have a couple of shoes or Lock & Co. handmade, says Dave.

Below, in the JJ FOX mini-Museum, is the star attraction of the store: the armchair by Winston Churchill. Influenzer and tourists from all over the world come here because of the leather chair. Churchill is said to have sat there and smoked one or the other cigar. A “Vitola” offered 90 minutes of smoking pleasure to the legendary Prime Minister, says Dave. Churchill is said to have smoked several of them every day and also consumed two bottles of the Pol Roger champagne champagne per day. So he brought it to a considerable 90 years.