Veeraswamy, the UK’s oldest surviving Indian restaurant, is facing an uncertain future.According to reports from BBC, a dispute with the Crown Estate, the landlord that owns the building Veeraswamy occupies, threatens to force it out of its original Regent Street location after nearly a century.Founded in 1926, Veeraswamy has operated continuously from the same location at Victory House, a Grade II-listed building near Piccadilly Circus, surviving the Second World War, the Blitz, and sweeping changes in British society. Now, with its 100th anniversary approaching in March, supporters are preparing to take a petition directly to Buckingham Palace in the coming weeks to urge King Charles III to intervene.The petition describes Veeraswamy as “a living piece of shared cultural history”. This campaign has gathered more than 19,000 signatures, backed by prominent chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Michael Roux and Richard Corrigan.“Most European cities cherish their legendary restaurants. Why in the name of God would we want to lose Veeraswamy?” Corrigon asked.At the heart of the dispute is the Crown Estate’s plan to refurbish Victory House as part of a modernisation project. The estate has said it will not renew the restaurant’s lease, arguing that the refurbishment is not compatible with the restaurant remaining on-site. Planning documents indicate that the restaurant space would be converted into offices, with changes to the entrance that would make the venue inaccessible.“This is not a decision we have taken lightly,” a Crown Estate spokesperson said, adding that the estate has offered financial support and help to find alternative locations in the West End.The restaurant’s owners, Ranjit Mathrani and Namita Panjabi, explained that the Crown Estate wants to reclaim 11 square metres of ground-floor space, which would block access to the mezzanine dining room and make operations unviable. They maintain that practical alternatives exist that would allow the restaurant to stay without obstructing the redevelopment.Legal proceedings are underway, but Mathrani has warned that the case may not be resolved, creating a real risk of close before the centenary year is complete.When Veeraswamy opened in 1926, Indian restaurants were a rarity in Britain. Founded by Edward Palmer, a former Anglo-Indian army officer, it initially catered to Anglo-Indians nostalgic for the flavours of home, before attracting generals, civil servants, business leaders and expatriates.According to Mathrani, early patrons included Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, while later decades saw figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Winston Churchill, and more recently Princess Anne, David Cameron and Andrew Lloyd Webber.The restaurant remained open even during the wartime Blitz, and its chefs have catered for Indian visits to Buckingham Palace in 2008 and 2017. It also played a pioneering role in shaping Britain’s relationship with Indian food, introducing the UK’s first tandoor oven in the 1950s and helping popularise dishes such as chicken korma, vindaloo and tandoori chicken. Veeraswamy received its first Michelin star in 2016, which it has retained.Supporters hope King Charles, who has long spoken about building links between communities, might quietly back the campaign. However, Buckingham Palace has said the matter rests with the Crown Estate.