Tea at Trianon: The Blantyre Estate

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Blantyre Estate

From Victoria:

Elegant gardens and endless velvety green lawns lead the way to rich décor in this enchanting Tudor-style mansion, setting the stage for the ultimate luxury experience. The Blantyre Estate, reminiscent of the bold mountains and lush landscapes of Scotland and tucked into the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, provides the loveliest of scenery for guests to enjoy. Return to a bygone era, where superior service, heavenly cuisine, and exquisite décor envelop your every sense. The romantic European ambience of the Blantyre Estate’s luxury country house hotel is an experience you will not soon forget. When Robert Paterson acquired the 220-acre property in the late 1890s, he had a vision to build nothing less than a castle—complete with towers, turrets, and gargoyles—modeled after his mother’s ancestral home in Blantyre, Scotland. Construction began in 1901, oftentimes with more than three hundred people working to complete the structure. Unfortunately, decades of economic setbacks and ownership transitions took their toll. By the 1970s, the property had been abandoned. But in 1980, Ann Fitzpatrick Brown became the eighth owner and set about restoring the estate to its premier splendor. Today, the Blantyre radiates a serene nineteenth-century aura with a stunning collection of vintage antique furnishings and rich textiles. (Read more.)