Tea at Trianon: Barnwell Manor

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

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Barnwell Manor

From House and Garden:

The property went on the market in the latter stages of 2022 and has taken some time to sell, but the Duke himself has not lived there since 1995, due to the cost of maintaining the estate. Instead, he gave it over to Windsor antiques for tenancy and moved back to Kensington Palace, which has been the Gloucester's primary residence ever since. Barnwell Manor itself has 40 rooms, including a wood-panelled study, jolly green reception room, complete with ornate cornicing and intricately pelmeted curtains, and a glorious library with chintz curtains that suit the mood of the house. The decorative plasterwork throughout is a marvel, as are the beautifully mullioned windows and perfect country house interiors that are in excellent condition. While nothing is currently known about the new owners, they join a long line of illustrious names, from Prince Philip's private secretary Sir Brian McGrath to Prince Henry, the custodian who brought it into the royal family's tenure. It is a considerable property with a long line of history and immaculately restored interiors, so the hope is that whoever is next to take it on retains that same charm and period character. (Read more.)