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A modern biography of Ralph Montagu. Particular focus is placed on his role as ambassador to the court of Louis XIV of France during the reign of Charles II, on his activities related to the Treaty of Dover (1670), on his motives in the impeachment of Danby, and on his contribution to the formation of the Whig Party.
Ralph Montagu needed money to rebuild and refurbish his magnificent London house, which had burned down whilst he was in exile in France. The richest woman in England, being a widowed Duchess (and mad) would only remarry into royalty. Legend has it that Ralph dressed as the Emperor of China, and his servants in the same fashion, wooed and wed her. Reading this story made me want to know more about such an audacious man. I discovered that he had brought down a prime minister, dined with Louis XIV, helped bring William III to the throne, patronised famous scientists, playwrights and painters, and managed to cap his career with the ultimate prize - a ducal coronet. His country house still stands, occupied by his descendant and full of the treasures he collected. It also holds his archive (including many bundles of debtors' bills) that has provided the foundation for this biography.
Ralph Montagu needed money to rebuild and refurbish his magnificent London house, which had burned down whilst he was in exile in France. The richest woman in England, being a widowed Duchess (and mad) would only remarry into royalty. Legend has it that Ralph dressed as the Emperor of China, and his servants in the same fashion, wooed and wed her. Reading this story made me want to know more about such an audacious man. I discovered that he had brought down a prime minister, dined with Louis XIV, helped bring William III to the throne, patronised famous scientists, playwrights and painters, and managed to cap his career with the ultimate prize - a ducal coronet. His country house still stands, occupied by his descendant and full of the treasures he collected. It also holds his archive (including many bundles of debtors' bills) that has provided the foundation for this biography.
Boughton House in Northamptonshire is a house of contrasts. Its magnificent, and at the same time, formal exterior in the French style gives little hint of the rambling Tudor manor house embedded within. Involvement with the law and politics at the highest level generated the wealth of its founders and builders, but enlightened artistic patronage and a strong aesthetic sense have been characteristic of many generations of the Dukes of Montagu and of Buccleuch since the 17th century. This book looks at the house and its furnishings.
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