A house gifted to King George V in celebration of his silver jubilee has attracted lots of interest since going on the market.

Built in Hersham in 1935, the King died before he got the chance to use it.

Kingsmere was commissioned by companies with royal warrant and was not designed to be a palace, more a “modest English dwelling”.

So modest it is now worth a mere £3.5m.

Its accompanying handbook has a foreword by John Buchan, author of The Thirty-Nine Steps, who wrote: “Now known as Kingsmere House, The King’s House was not designed to be a palace but was instead intended to be a simple home - a ‘modest English dwelling’.

“It should ‘march well with the age of democracy’ and reflect His Majesty’s lack of ostentation and interest in the housing of the nation.

“Apparently the King showed a marked, personal interest in the choice of its design. It was decided that the King would bestow the use of the house as a favour to worthy Britons who had distinguished themselves in the service of their country.”

Although King George V died before he could use the house, his heir Edward VIII and his widow, Queen Mary, oversaw the remainder of the works and on July 10 1936, King Edward performed the official opening ceremony with a diamond key.

The first tenant was Admiral Sir Reginald Tupper, who had commanded the merchant fleet between Scotland and Iceland during World War I.

Materials used were from every part of the empire - Indian grey wood, Canadian silk wood, Queensland walnut and marble from Malta, and very little has changed.

Even the guest bathroom still boasts its original tiles with dedicated places for lit cigarettes and used razor blades.

If you would like a slice of the history, call Hamptons International on 01372 468411.