Hughenden - a beautiful house owned by the National Trust is set deep in the rolling greens of the Buckinghamshire countryside. This was the home of Queen Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister - Benjamin Disraeli. But Disraeli was so much more than a Queen's favourite. He was a writer, a performer, a dandy, a friend to some, a rival to others and the man who coined the phrase, ‘the greasy pole’. But how did he make his way to the very top?
Alice Loxton heads to Hughenden Manor to investigate this incredible man and to dig deeper into the foundations of the place where Disraeli created his most famous character, himself. Alice goes behind the scenes exploring how the collection at Hughenden holds his most precious items, even his curls are saved in special envelopes collected by his wife Mary Anne!
Find out how this bankrupt dandy, an outsider to Victorian society, put the pieces together to become one of the biggest political players of the 19th Century. A man who was admired by Bismarck and the leaders of Europe and closest friend to the most powerful woman on earth, Queen Victoria, crowning her the Empress of India and changing global history forever.
Up Next in If These Walls Could Talk
-
England's Royal Churches
This film celebrates the glory of England's forgotten royal churches and their links to the most opulent country residences.
The church has always been at the heart of the English monarchy. From operating as a place of contemplation and refuge to symbolising national celebration, art historian...
-
The Cardiff Castle Hidden in the Cent...
Chris Lloyd spotted a house in London which reminded him of Cardiff. It turned out it had a huge link to the Welsh capital, as well as currently having a very famous resident.
-
Hidden in the Trees: Cardiff's Forgot...
A History Hit Community film. For nearly a thousand years, something high in the forest has been watching over the Welsh capital. A community pulled together in the Sixties, giving St. Mary's church in Caerau a short new life.
11 Comments