There was no house on the Waddesdon Estate when Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898) bought it in 1874.  Wanting a building in the style of the Loire châteaux that he had visited, he engaged the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur. The foundation stone was laid in 1877.  The completion of the Bachelors’ Wing in 1880 and the main part of the house in 1883 were celebrated with house parties of twenty guests.

Baron Ferdinand had a London residence and Waddesdon was created as a place to entertain guests at his famous ‘Saturday to Monday’ house parties. They enjoyed all the modern comforts of running water, central heating and electricity. Ferdinand’s guests included figures from the social circle around the Prince of Wales (a frequent guest), politics, and culture.

Waddesdon is a National Trust Property