The Sands of Time -- When this nearly 80-acre property at the tip of North Eleuthera was listed for sale recently with an asking price of $23 million, it was another reminder of royalty’s role in the history of The Bahamas. Once deeded to Lord Beaverbrook, the property known as Gun Point is currently owned by a Bahamian family best known for its prominence in beers and spirits.

Timothy Smith of Better Homes & Gardens MCR Bahamas Group is the exclusive listing agent for Gun Point, North Eleuthera, the iconic family island getaway that feels like a private island with some 3,000 coconut trees, tennis court, beaches, dock and its own water and power supply.

With the world’s eyes on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they made their final rounds before voluntarily departing the rarefied air of royal family chores, parties and perks, a property that came on the market this week reminded us of the deep connection between the royals and The Bahamas.

The property is a fantasy like site at the far northern tip of North Eleuthera, remote enough to feel like an island. Called Gun Point, it was once deeded by King George VI to Lord Beaverbrook as Crown land in gratitude for his service to king and country during WW II when the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy used The Bahamas as a base for allied operations. Today, Gun Point is owned by a prominent Bahamian family with a strong stake in the suds and spirits industry.

“The patriarch who loved to boat and fish from Gun Point and enjoy the peacefulness of the place knowing it was only a 10-minute ride from the North Eleuthera Airport passed away last March. The children and grandchildren, all grown, love it but they are so busy with their own lives and businesses they do not have the time to use it sufficiently. Putting it on the market was a tough, emotional decision and if you visited you would understand why,” said Timothy Smith, listing agent. “You would be hard-pressed to find a more stunning or even comparable property anywhere in the world.”

At nearly 80 acres, Gun Point boasts more than 3,000 coconut palms. There is a 4,000-square foot, 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath main house, caretaker’s cottage, dock and dock house, gazebos, tennis court, 210,000-gallon rain water catchment system, generator and housing. Sandy beaches ring the peninsular where on one side a 45-foot high elevated rocky u-shaped border creates a dramatic and breathtaking viewpoint.

“In this age where we are all looking for ways to be more self-sufficient, what’s interesting is that Gun Point also has its own native farm that produces seasonal local vegetables and fruit,” says Smith, who earned top producer honours at Better Homes & Gardens MCR Bahamas Group in 2019. “The property is ideal for development, lending itself to a boutique fishing, diving, snorkeling water sports resort with luxurious spa and great food, a marina, or for some lucky family, maybe maintaining it for personal use with great short-term rental potential.”

It is not unusual for private islands in The Bahamas or boutique Family Island properties like Gun Point to rent for as much as $100,000 a week with full staff, on-site dining, boating with crew and amenities.

“The historic connection adds a sense of romance,” says Smith. “Lord Beaverbrook and his family were in The Bahamas when the Duke of Windsor occupied Mt. Fitzwilliam which we commonly call Government House. Even with the war and the efforts of the ladies working with the Red Cross and trying to create an orphanage, there were glamorous parties and dinners. Names of royalty and celebrities rolled off tongues and pulled up to finely set tables for mid-war feasts and talk of battles and hopes. When Lord Beaverbrook was offered any piece of property he wanted after the war as a gift of appreciation, he personally selected Gun Point, North Eleuthera and he and his family spent many years here enjoying the fishing, the tranquility and the beauty.”

According to Smith, interest in the listing has been “extraordinary.” There are single family residences, he notes, in a few gated communities with similar price points “and this is nearly 80 acres with all the privacy you could ever dream of and the potential for an amazing development – as well as the fascinating royal historic connection and the artifacts left in the main house to show it.”

There is even a stranger connection. Prince Harry, the grandson of the original donor of the property, and Meghan Markle officially retired as royals on March 9, the same day that the owner of Gun Point passed away one year earlier.

The Gun Point, N Eleuthera property once occupied by royalty includes resort-like amenities including its own dock, tennis court, water and power supply along with a 4,000 square foot manor house.