WADDESDON MANOR HISTORIC HOUSE TOUR, THE ROTHSCHILDS INCREDIBLE CHATEAU
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This turreted chateau in the French Renaissance style sitting on a hill top in rural Buckinghamshire is one of the most remarkable sights you will ever see.
Starting out as a modest merchant family, the Rothschilds originally from Frankfurt, became one of the richest and most powerful European families of the 19th century. Bankers to monarchs and governments, builders of palaces and castles, collectors of fine art.
The banking business was founded by Mayer Amschel who traded government bonds and imported English textiles. He won the contract to supply the Imperial Army when Austria declared war on France in 1792, putting him in the highest class of tax payer in the Jewish community. He became Court Agent to the court of William, the Crown Prince of Hanau resulting in international success as the Prince entrusted the Rothschilds with managing and investing his capital when he was exiled in 1806, after Napoleon's invasion.
Mayer Amschel's third son, Nathan moved to England in 1798 and traded in textiles. He moved to London to work in banking and married the daughter of a prominent London merchant and banker. They rented a house in New Court, living above the business premises. The family bank, N.M. Rothschild and Sons, operates from the same address today.
In 1810 Mayer made three of his sons his business partners and later all five sons would be bound together by agreements designed to keep the firm's capital intact, with all business requiring the approval of all five partners. In return all five brothers received an annual interest payment and household expenses with daughters and daughters-in-law excluded.
Their business network expanded with Nathan in London, James in Paris, Salomon in Vienna, Carl in Naples and Amschel in Frankfurt. In 1822 the five brothers were made Barons of the Austrian Emperor. It was also agreed that all five brothers should never marry outside of the family, so the wealth stayed within the family.
Nathan died in 1836 and it was his grandson, Nathaniel (Natty) who was granted a peerage given by Queen Victoria, becoming the first Jewish peer in British history, 1st Lord Rothschild.
Ferdinand De Rothschild (grandson of Salomon - Vienna, Austria) settled in England and married 2nd cousin Evelina (granddaughter of Nathan - London, sister of 1st Lord Rothschild) in 1865 and moved permanently to London. Evelina died in 1866 in childbirth and Ferdinand never married again.
In 1874 Ferdinand began negotiations to sell his shares in the business to the other partners. The Waddesdon Estate, previously owned by the Duke of Marlborough, came on the market that year and Ferdinand instructed his agents to buy it. He then sought the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur to build a turreted 16th century French Renaissance Chateaux as there was no house on the estate. The foundation stone was laid on 18th August 1877.
Ferdinand's youngest sister Alice, followed him to England and became his hostess after Evelina's death. She had her own suite at Waddesdon and inherited the majority of his possessions, including Waddesdon Manor itself when he died in 1898. She is best remembered for her stringent housekeeping regime and thanks to her, Ferdinand's collections are well preserved to this day. She died in a Paris hotel in 1922, on her way to her villa in the south of France.
Alice left the Waddesdon Estate to James De Rothschild (Paris, France) the Great Grandson of Mayer Amschel. James married an Englishwoman Dorothy Pinto and was naturalised in 1920. James and Dorothy had a great passion for horse racing and established the stud at Waddesdon. James died in 1957 and Dorothy oversaw the transfer of the property to the National Trust that year and chaired the management committee until her death in 1988.
Mindful of Ferdinand's fear that Waddesdon would share the fate of most properties whose owners have no descendants, it was negotiated with the National Trust that Waddesdon would remain intact to commemorate Ferdinand and Alice's testament to the Rothschild style of the 19th century.
Her nephew Jacob, 4th Lord Rothschild was chosen by Dorothy to inherit the family's interests in managing Waddesdon. He has worked tirelessly to ensure its long-term sustainability while preserving the legacies of the previous owners. He is best known publicly for being involved with the National Gallery, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Spencer House and Somerset House. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 2002 for his significant contributions.
Lord Rothschild leases Spencer House in London and his daughters Hannah and Beth are active members of the committees of the house and gardens at Waddesdon. Most of the 19th century Rothschild properties throughout Europe have been sold or demolished and only Waddesdon retains the atmosphere of the glory days.
Music: Artlist.io
catherinecameron2023
Starting out as a modest merchant family, the Rothschilds originally from Frankfurt, became one of the richest and most powerful European families of the 19th century. Bankers to monarchs and governments, builders of palaces and castles, collectors of fine art.
The banking business was founded by Mayer Amschel who traded government bonds and imported English textiles. He won the contract to supply the Imperial Army when Austria declared war on France in 1792, putting him in the highest class of tax payer in the Jewish community. He became Court Agent to the court of William, the Crown Prince of Hanau resulting in international success as the Prince entrusted the Rothschilds with managing and investing his capital when he was exiled in 1806, after Napoleon's invasion.
Mayer Amschel's third son, Nathan moved to England in 1798 and traded in textiles. He moved to London to work in banking and married the daughter of a prominent London merchant and banker. They rented a house in New Court, living above the business premises. The family bank, N.M. Rothschild and Sons, operates from the same address today.
In 1810 Mayer made three of his sons his business partners and later all five sons would be bound together by agreements designed to keep the firm's capital intact, with all business requiring the approval of all five partners. In return all five brothers received an annual interest payment and household expenses with daughters and daughters-in-law excluded.
Their business network expanded with Nathan in London, James in Paris, Salomon in Vienna, Carl in Naples and Amschel in Frankfurt. In 1822 the five brothers were made Barons of the Austrian Emperor. It was also agreed that all five brothers should never marry outside of the family, so the wealth stayed within the family.
Nathan died in 1836 and it was his grandson, Nathaniel (Natty) who was granted a peerage given by Queen Victoria, becoming the first Jewish peer in British history, 1st Lord Rothschild.
Ferdinand De Rothschild (grandson of Salomon - Vienna, Austria) settled in England and married 2nd cousin Evelina (granddaughter of Nathan - London, sister of 1st Lord Rothschild) in 1865 and moved permanently to London. Evelina died in 1866 in childbirth and Ferdinand never married again.
In 1874 Ferdinand began negotiations to sell his shares in the business to the other partners. The Waddesdon Estate, previously owned by the Duke of Marlborough, came on the market that year and Ferdinand instructed his agents to buy it. He then sought the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur to build a turreted 16th century French Renaissance Chateaux as there was no house on the estate. The foundation stone was laid on 18th August 1877.
Ferdinand's youngest sister Alice, followed him to England and became his hostess after Evelina's death. She had her own suite at Waddesdon and inherited the majority of his possessions, including Waddesdon Manor itself when he died in 1898. She is best remembered for her stringent housekeeping regime and thanks to her, Ferdinand's collections are well preserved to this day. She died in a Paris hotel in 1922, on her way to her villa in the south of France.
Alice left the Waddesdon Estate to James De Rothschild (Paris, France) the Great Grandson of Mayer Amschel. James married an Englishwoman Dorothy Pinto and was naturalised in 1920. James and Dorothy had a great passion for horse racing and established the stud at Waddesdon. James died in 1957 and Dorothy oversaw the transfer of the property to the National Trust that year and chaired the management committee until her death in 1988.
Mindful of Ferdinand's fear that Waddesdon would share the fate of most properties whose owners have no descendants, it was negotiated with the National Trust that Waddesdon would remain intact to commemorate Ferdinand and Alice's testament to the Rothschild style of the 19th century.
Her nephew Jacob, 4th Lord Rothschild was chosen by Dorothy to inherit the family's interests in managing Waddesdon. He has worked tirelessly to ensure its long-term sustainability while preserving the legacies of the previous owners. He is best known publicly for being involved with the National Gallery, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Spencer House and Somerset House. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 2002 for his significant contributions.
Lord Rothschild leases Spencer House in London and his daughters Hannah and Beth are active members of the committees of the house and gardens at Waddesdon. Most of the 19th century Rothschild properties throughout Europe have been sold or demolished and only Waddesdon retains the atmosphere of the glory days.
Music: Artlist.io
catherinecameron2023