THE billionaire owners of the award winning Chewton Glen luxury hotel and spa in the New Forest have acquired the stately home made famous by the Profumo scandal.

Ian and Richard Livingstone have added the world famous five-star Cliveden House in Berkshire to their property portfolio, which includes over 60 hotels and the David Lloyd health club chain. The grade I listed stately home has a guide price of £35m.

It was put up for sale by the Von Essen hotel chain – owners of The New Park Manor Hotel near Brockenhurst – which collapsed into administration with debts of almost £300m.

The freehold of the 38-bedroom Cliveden House is owned by the National Trust.

The Cliveden, set in 376 acres of gardens and parklands, will fall under the leadership of the Chewton Glen’s existing managing director Andrew Stembrigde who said a refurbishment programme would begin shortly.

He said: “Cliveden is incredibly impressive and we are looking forward to making this wonderful hotel come alive. It has to be the best hotel address in the country.”

The Cliveden hit the headlines in the 1960s when it was revealed that John Profumo, the secretary of state for war, began an affair with the showgirl mistress of a Soviet spy after the pair met at the mansion, which was then owned by Lord Astor.

Other guests at Cliveden have included Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt and every British monarch since George I.