The British actor lived in upper Montreux from 1958 until his death. Born in 1899 in the poor London suburb of Teddington, he embarked in the theater at a very young age, making his stage debut in 1909. At the age of 15, he was already a well-known actor and began writing plays and composing songs and operettas. The actor was in fact a piano virtuoso. After the Second World War, Noel Coward pursued acting, both comedy and tragedy, and wrote novels and poetry.

In 1958, the actor went to Switzerland and settled in Les Avants in upper Montreux. He bought a spacious chalet with a lush vegetable garden, set in a large estate surrounded by forests. The property had belonged to an English family called the Petries, and Noel Coward had seen the ad in the London Daily Telegraph. The actor renovated the residence and welcomed many artists and friends such as Vivian Leigh, Peter Ustinov and Graham Greene.

The actor and composer worked a lot and also devoted time to his hobby of painting, which is why he was not often seen in the village. He was always accompanied his two secretaries, one of whom now takes care of the actor's chalet. In 1970, Noel Coward was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. His reputation only continued to grow and many people considered him to be the English Sacha Guitry. Noel Coward died in his second home in Jamaica at the age of 73. Part of his collection of books has been donated to the Musee du Vieux-Montreux.