Woburn Abbey
From its Flying Duchess to its royal connections, wonderful Woburn Abbey is home to an impressive collection of art and
antiques, a transformed garden, and an interesting tale or two . . . WORDS DAVID MOTTON
Portrait A
Above: The Duke of Bedford and his
family. Right: The West Front of Woburn Abbey,
family home to the Duke and his family
house fit for royalty, a wartime hospital, the home to a remarkable collection of art and a stunning example of Palladian architectural style – Woburn Abbey has been all these things
and more over the past 400 years. It is also very much a family residence and remains so to this day. The story of Woburn is the story of the Russell family.
John Russell was given Woburn Abbey in 1547 in recognition of his services to Henry VIII, some nine years after the original abbey was dissolved. Three years later, he was made the 1st Earl of Bedford. A soldier and a diplomat, Russell navigated the treacherous waters of Tudor politics with considerable skill and judgement. The first Earl wasn’t the last to make an impression on
history, as Jane Smith a guide at Woburn Abbey explains, “Name an event in English history and there’ll be a Russell in the background somewhere.” At times the family made their way into the foreground, such as when Lord John Russell, brother of the 7th Duke, twice became Prime Minister. He carried the Reform Bill through parliament in 1832, an important landmark on Britain’s path to becoming a modern democracy. You’ll find Lord John Russell’s portrait, along with
portraits of all the earls, arranged in chronological order as you climb the Grand Staircase to the first floor and pass along The Dukes’ Corridor (the title of duke was first bestowed on the 5th Earl in 1694). It’s a remarkable collection, both for its artistic value and for underlining the continuity of the Russell family in Woburn Abbey’s history. The family’s close relationship with royalty is also on
display in the iconic form of The Armada Portrait, perhaps the most famous painting of Queen Elizabeth I. Taking pride of place in The Long Gallery, Jane Smith describes it as “Woburn’s most prestigious painting”. Believed to be the work of George Gower in 1588, it
commemorates the great naval victory over the invading Spanish Armada. The Queen’s instantly recognisable face, white and implacable, first catches your attention, but look closer and the detail and precision of Gower’s brushwork
44 BRITAIN
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of a family
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