Cliveden by Annie Bullen

Cliveden by Annie Bullen

A country retreat on a grand scale, Cliveden's magnificent gardens and breathtaking views have been admired for centuries. Since it was built high above the Thames in the second half of the 17th century, Cliveden has been a powerhouse--a place visited by royalty and the politically influential. Its first owner, the Duke of Buckingham, was brought up with the children of Charles I, and was instrumental in the restoration of Charles I. Lord Orkney, the next owner, and his wife, Elizabeth Villiers, a one-time mistress of William I, hosted both George I and George I at Cliveden, while their successors, the Sutherland family, among the wealthiest in the land, were often at home to Queen Victoria. However, it was during the tenure of Nancy and Waldorf Astor that Cliveden became the glamorous center of political, literary, and artistic society. Guest from David Lloyd George, Herbert Asquith, Anthony Eden, Winston Churchill, and Neville Chamberlain to Sylvia Pankhurst, George Bernard Shaw, Henry Ford, Mahatma Gandhi, Amy Johnson, and Charlie Chaplin were invited to enjoy the lavish hospitality of Charles Barry's architecture and the beauty of the gardens. A wider public became aware of Cliveden in 1963 when John Profumo, Secretary of State for War in the Macmillan government, met call-girl Christine Keeler by the swimming pool here, when he was a guest of the 3rd Lord Astor in 1961. Profumo's brief affair with Keeler, who was also involved with Soviet naval attache Evegeny Ivanov, raised fears about national security, and he was forced to resign. The National Trust took over in 1966, and it is currently run as a hotel with a garden open to visitors. This guide contains details of the development of the garden and house, the history of the people who owned, visited, and lived there, a fold-out bird's-eye map and timeline, walks, and highlights of the gardens and magnificent classical sculpture collection.

Bullen, Annie: -

Annie Bullen is the author of William & Catherine: A Royal Wedding Souvenir. She has written guides about Britain's most historic cities as well as biographies of famous British writers. Bullen lives in the United Kingdom.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781843594017
ISBN 10	1843594013
Title	Cliveden
Author	Annie Bullen
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	National Trust
Year published	2012-04-01
Number of pages	32
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable