Woburn Abbey
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
Whether little or large, the objects in the house are as
takes the viewer’s breath away. “You can see almost every stitch in her dress,” says Jane. The portrait is a statement of Elizabeth’s political strength and power; the Queen’s right hand resting assertively on a globe to show England’s renewed authority on the world stage. The mermaid on the Queen’s chair symbolises mastery of the seas, while the defeat of the Spanish and the wreck of the remainder of the Armada in storms off the Irish and Scottish coasts can be seen in panels behind the Queen. Entirely different in period and style but no less
impressive is the collection of 21 paintings by Canaletto in The Dining Room. Although on public display whenever the house is open, The Dining Room is still used for entertaining the Duke’s most important guests. Whatever delights the chef prepares, the food must struggle to draw attention away from the paintings showing views of Venice. The 4th Duke visited Venice in 1731 and was so taken with the city that he commissioned Canaletto to produce a series of works, which show why the city has been so revered by travellers down the centuries. The shutters are closed as we enter the room yet the
canvases seem to glow. That’s partly a compliment to the artist’s masterful brushwork, but also due to subtle spotlights in the ceiling that light each individual canvas. There is also a fine collection of art in Queen Victoria’s
bedroom. Part of the royal apartments, this room is one of several that were kept for royal visits and otherwise closed. There’s so much to see in this one room that it would be easy to overlook some of its treasures without an audio guide or, better still, an actual guide to point out hidden gems. Enter the room, and your eye is drawn to the impressive
chandelier, gold leaf on the ceiling and the four-poster bed, the only four-poster in the house. On closer inspection, many of the smaller objects in the room are just as worthy of attention. A series of etchings on one wall were drawn by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The etchings were a gift to Anna Maria, wife of the 7th Duke, who had been one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting. In one display cabinet there’s orange blossom from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. “There are so many wonderful little things that people sometimes miss,” explains Jane.
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diverse as they are fascinating. The paintings and other pieces in the Racing Room show the family’s love of horse racing, with the Bedford silks draped over a chair and the ornate 1846 Ascot Gold Cup taking centre stage. It was won by Charles Greville’s horse, Alarm, and presented to the 7th Duke the following year. In the Holland Library you will see hundreds of valuable books, mostly concerned with natural history but also geography. Downstairs in the crypt you will find The Neptune, a
model ship made by Napoleonic prisoners of war from bone and horsehair. And anyone with an interest in pottery will be amazed by the collection of Meissen, Sèvre, Wedgwood and 17th-century Japanese porcelain. Beneath the house is a selection of some of the family
silver and gold, including a 14th-century silver spoon, believed to be an anointing spoon from the original Abbey. As beautiful as Woburn’s treasures are, it’s the stories of
the people behind them that really make the Abbey come alive. Among Woburn’s many colourful residents, none is more fascinating than Mary, ‘The Flying Duchess’; a whole room is devoted to her life and achievements. The wife of the 11th Duke, Mary travelled widely, had a
taste for adventure and a love of animals. She combined all three with bird-watching trips on her yacht, Sapphire. Mary also worked tirelessly for her country in times of
DID YOU
KNOW? J The oldest artefacts in the
house are Etruscan vases, dating from the 4th century BC.
J King Charles I visited the house three times, twice as a guest, once as a prisoner of Oliver Cromwell.
J The 5th Earl’s son was executed in 1683 for his alleged role in the Rye House Plot to assassinate Charles II. He was posthumously pardoned in 1694.
J As well as the house and gardens, Woburn Abbey has an award-winning safari park and a golf club.
J A life-size bronze statue of Mrs Moss, a horse owned by the 14th Duke and his wife, stands outside the house.
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