Prince John Zylinski RIP

"If you don't have a dream, then how are you going to make your dream come true?" goes the song.

And 'Prince' John Zylinski was a man who achieved some of his dreams. His story is one of initiative, ambition, imagination, determination and honouring the memory of his forefathers.

His funeral took place on the 25th January in Ealing Abbey. He had been a pupil at St Benedict's as a boy. The church was full of grieving family, and friends old and new.

A moving Eulogy was given by his brother Marek Zylinski who shared memories of his brother. John had lost his father, Andrzej Zylinski, at the age of six. Andrzej was a war hero, who had led a victorious cavalry charge against the Germans in World War II in 1939, during the battle of Kaluszyn in Poland.

After the war, Andrzej retrained and became a solicitor for General Anders, leader of the Second Polish Corps. He married Grazyna Krzetowska. Their house hosted many of the leading personalities of Polish emigre circles. Marek continued talking about their idyllic childhood with both grandmothers living on the same street as the family. The journey home from school involved being fed at both on the pretext of being hungry. Unlike his brother, John still had room for the meal at home too! The two brothers would race to read the property section rather than the sports pages of the newspaper supplements, showing where their future interests would lie.

Marek shared a few anecdotes showing John's sense of humour. When asked by the nutritionist in hospital what his favourite food was, he replied, "Caviar and Champagne!" When asked if he had any allergies, he retorted, "Modern Architecture". During his stay in hospital, some of the patients challenged him about his claim that he danced ballet, so he got up from his bed and danced some steps giving them an unforgettable moment, something he often gave to people.

His friend Marek Stella-Sawicki gave a Eulogy on John's activities. He had studied History at the London School of Economics and later on choreography. He worked in publishing, then went into property at which he was very successful. He was a philanthropist. John was a Polish patriot and defended Poland's good name in the UK. His greatest pleasure was in showing Polish traditions to the British. He used to say that the Polish people are the toughest in Europe. To honour his father and all Polish cavalrymen, John commissioned a statue for the centre of Kaluszyn. At its unveiling, he was made an honorary citizen of the town. It is a golden statue eight metres high, of a cavalryman on his horse brandishing a sword - The Golden Horseman. He wanted to build a monument to Polish pilots. He had the concept for a triumphal arch commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw which was going to be 15m high. Because of a conflict between officials and John it didn't happen.

John built a palace in Ealing - The White House' as a replacement for the one his grandmother owned in Gozdowo, Poland which was destroyed by the Communists in World War II. The building of the house was started in 2005 and was completed in 2009. It has been visited by amongst many: Melania Trump, Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham. He inspired a new wave of Poles to be proud of their heritage.

Father Bartek Rajewski spoke in Polish about John, saying that he was a person who brought people together. He was determined to achieve his goals in spite of obstacles. And, he would set his targets ever higher once he achieved them. Christians should get people together without boundaries and avoid divisions. We aim for eternal life and must be determined to get to our goal.

The music was organized by his niece Aniela and included a beautifully sung 'In Paradisum' as well as Camille Saint-Saens' 'Finale from the Organ Symphony', Schubert's 'Ave Maria' and Elgar's 'Nimrod'.

The wake was held in the White House, his home of recent years and his most impressive building project. As one walks along Park View Road in Ealing past a variety of large houses one is suddenly startled by a vision of grace and grandeur. The entrance is a great white arch with classical statues on top and delicate decorative detail. From the arch, one is lead into a curving drive towards a graceful white building with Corinthian columns and large windows. At first glance it reminded me of the Lazienki palace in Warsaw, Poland. The interior is a sensorial overload of gold, crystal chandeliers, mirrors, objets d'art and luxurious furnishings. There is tremendous attention to detail which makes it very personal. In the ballroom there is a gold Steinway, the only one in Britain! My favourite moment was when his niece Aniela sat down to the piano with her cousin Raphael to play together in this wonderful setting.

The fact that it is a treasure waiting to be discovered in a back road in Ealing makes it all the more special. When one considers the terrible devastation that Poland suffered during the Second World War in its building heritage, Zylinski's palace becomes symbolic. What is admirable is that he built it on his home patch where he had grown up and laid roots. He brought the culture and traditions that he valued to his home in Ealing. When asked where he got some of the materials for the interior, he replied that he got them in the local DIY store. Some of the large gold framed wall mirrors were in fact just composed of mirrored tiles.

He held many prestigious events in the house, the last being a charity ball held for the Global Kidney Foundation. Sometimes his partner, Desiree, would perform a ballet dance at such events.

Talking to people at the wake I felt that the loss of John was going to leave a huge gap in their lives and all felt his loss was untimely as there was still a lot he had planned to do. I came across the different sides of the man, he was a bon viveur, yet he was very hardworking getting up at four in the morning. As well as liking classical architecture, he was an afficionado of classical music and ballet. This love for the classical was instilled in him by his maternal grandmother, Jadwiga Krzetowska, who taught him the traditions of the nobility, as well as French.

Founding Chair of the Conservative Friends of Poland, Teresa Potocka, reminisced how John generously offered his use of his palace for events organised by her, which were attended by politicians and dignitaries.

John's family suffered a lot in World War II. 3/4 of them were killed by the German Nazis. His grandmother spent the war in Ravensbruck concentration camp and was penniless when she came to England with his mother and lived in a bedsit in Earls Court.

In the public sphere John Zylinski is most well-known for challenging Nigel Farage to a duel. The story went around the world and John even filmed the duel in the garden of the palace, wielding a replica of his father's cavalry sword, with an actor playing Farage. (When I watched it on Youtube it brought to mind the Ealing comedies). He objected to Farage blaming the traffic jams on the M4 on immigrants and decided to make his point by using humour.

John decided to run for Mayor of London, as the first candidate of Polish descent ever to do so, garnering over 13,000 votes. There was also an attempt at organising a political party called Polish Pride and he encouraged and helped the new Polish immigrants to get more involved in politics.

The Polish and British community have lost a great personality. I hope that the palace remains as a reminder that there was a large community of Poles in Ealing who made a contribution to British society with their energies and talents, people who in spite of losing their country, their homes and their cultural milieu managed to create a new reality for themselves combining the old and the new thus enriching their communities.

May the palace continue to delight people and inspire them to pursue their dreams as John Zylinski did…..

'Prince' John Zylinski was born on July 25 1951. He died of heart failure on January 3, 2024, aged 72. He is survived by his brother Marek Zylinski and family and his partner Desiree Saddik and family.