The Secrets Of Spencer House | A Stately Home In Central London
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ค. 2024
- The Secrets Of Spencer House | A Stately Home In Central London
In this video History Hit's Alice Loxton delves into the secrets of Spencer House.
Tucked away in the heart of St James’s is one of London’s most
sumptuous buildings. It’s the London house of the Spencer family - that’s
the family of the infamous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and the late
Princess Diana.
Spencer House was the vision of John, the First Earl Spencer, born in 1734. He was the great-grandson of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who built Blenheim Palace. He was also the grandson of
Third Earl of Sunderland. Young John inherited both these fortunes,
becoming one of the wealthiest young men in the land.
Not only was John lucky in his birth. He was lucky in love, too. He
married his childhood sweetheart, Georgiana Poynz. Unusually for the
18th century, the couple didn’t detest each other. They were genuinely in
love.
Shortly after their marriage, and equipped with a vast fortune, they built a
splendid new London house in St James’s overlooking Green Park, as
compliment to Althorp, the country estate.
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#historyhit #spencerhouse #london
A disgrace that the planners allowed that hideous building next-door. I'm not anti-modern architecture, but there are places that it does not belong.
Agreed!
It’s barely noticeable in person.
Agree, with every outdoor shot my eye was drawn to that ill fitting block next to such a stately design, the architects responsible could've been more sympathetic.
Modernist architecture is a cancer to the city tasteless and vile! I suspect in 30 years we’ll view it the same as we now view the concrete council flats of the 60s
It's definitely incongruous.
I spent a happy few months working in this house back in the late '80's as an apprentice electrician. It had a full electrical/mechanical refit and there's a lot more that hasn't been shown. Diana, Princess of Wales visited as the project neared completion.
that must have been awesome.....lucky you!!
Fantastic, I didn't know she was in the trade. Inspiration woman.
@@meme4one your reply makes no sense
I remember the publicity surrounding Diana’s visit. Must have been odd to think it was once her family home, on the other hand she lived in a palace herself!
Princess Dianna and her brother of corse. Was distance cousin of P rince William.. Duchess.Kate.is as well I wonder.if the late Princess Dianna's brother lives at Spencer House.,? Is he then .the Earl? I am from the U.S. and there are certain areas of the lives of the royals that we are not familiar. This is certainly quite a magnificent estate. Mixed with mythic thought. But makes it more interesting. Just so gorgeous. Thank you.
Spencer House is the only London aristocratic townhouse still owned by the original family. All the others have been sold and / or demolished.
Just as well.
@ed murks ya mum
Dudley house
@@annonymously331 The Dudleys are extinct thanks to the Earl of Leicester
@@ghsense2626 it's kinda funny how you said it. 😂
I can't imagine as an American, having a home like this. All the lovely treasures at every corner passed down through the centuries. Stunning!
I'm sure you can't.
Plus-- Althorpe in Northamptonshire... Been to both .... this was the Spencer City Home. Been to both .... Stunning
Lots of dust
Too many Americans DO NOT appreciate heritage. They prefer to destroy our past.
To believe in your foundation, one must be informed, with a sense of class.
Our country has become enthralled with vulgarity, & foul language.
The European influences gone.
i wouldn't brag
I've often wondered what this gaffe looked like inside.. I had no idea that some of the restoration work was so recent. Nice one Alice! 👍
Here's something refreshing.. Princess Diana and her family story in the history of the world 🌎
Why commentators always called Princess Diana a commoner always fascinated me.. she was not ever a commoner
Not in the least.
My understanding is that if you are not royal you are a commoner. She obviously has aristocratic background
SPENCERS are more british royal dna than the german windsors
In English law a commoner is anyone without a Royal title or a peerage. Although Diana was the daughter of an earl and held the courtesy title of Lady she was legally a commoner
If you are not born Royal then you are a commoner, Diana was a commoner, so was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Let me first say the hostess of the show did a magnificent job. Very well informed and up-to-date information. The home itself is beautiful the architecture the paintings the statues very beautiful thank you for sharing this home with us. From your friend and fan in America.
She's absolutely engaging.
Great video.
I agree!
Pastor please pray for the release of curses and magic. Please pray to facilitate the brain and be given intelligence. Please pray to get rid of the disease in the body. Please pray for smooth finances and be given wealth.
Agreed...add humour as well. She got be with the downstairs tunnel that led to the garden...whistling going with the wheel barrow...lol
What is brilliant is that the expertise exists to undertake such a restoration - something that shouldn’t be taken for granted, because some of these skills are so so so complex and in low demand in the modern era. The documentary on the restoration of Windsor Chapel (on TH-cam) actually films some of the techniques craftsmen have preserved.
I don't understand the presenter's attitude. If everything the aristocrats said, did, and thought was stupid and ridiculous then why are we touring this house and why is it the subject of this TV program? A more respectful treatment is needed. Whoever wrote this is conflicted to the point of absurdity.
@@fareshajjar1208She tries to be playful. One of the reasons to build the house, was to play. The political satire statue and the ballroom illustrate these things.
@@dragonmartijn She's not playful in the least. She is afraid of being seen as elitist and so she actually becomes a low rent snob. "This whole thing is stupid and excessive, but it's here so lets look at it." Would have been enjoyable tour with a decent presenter.
@@fareshajjar1208 Probably you are right. English isn’t my mother tongue, probably it is yours, that way you are able to hear things better in context.
What a beautiful townhouse, so glad it was saved!
My first time to see a video about Spencer's, their house and talk about history of family.
The house (origin or restored) is magnificent.
Alice, after watching several of your delightful videos I am compelled to comment in thanks for your young, fresh, amusing and very informative approach to architectural tours that, as we know, can be dry and boring. You are a welcome breath of fresh air! Many thanks and please do continue to make many more.
…what he said.
Absolutely breathtaking! A true masterpiece of architecture! Absolutely magnificent views! Also fabulous video! Congratulations in every possible way!
Lovely house. How did they get planning permission for that eyesore next door?
High level craftwork to the ceiling. Jewel box rooms.
“You would think this large bookshelf was original. Actually it’s IKEA.” 😂😂😂🤪
What a lovely home. The restoration work is incredible!
Thank you so much! When I tried to tour the home in April 2022, I was met at the door by a friendly, departing artisan workman informing me the basement was being restored and so the house would be closed for some time. 😥😥😥
What a wonderful visit to this magnificent house. Thank you so much for the tour.
As a member of The Georgian Group, I really should join a tour of this fantastic house!
I did a tour of Spencer House on a holiday to the UK in 2018. Well worth it. I also managed to do a tour of Althorp a week or so later. Also well worth a visit.
A wonderful and entertaining tour of a classic building, thank you.
Alice Loxton is delightful to watch in history hit tv docs! ♥️
It's nice that spencer family still connected to the royal family for years from now, thanks to lady diana spencer
Her name is Lady Diana Spencer and it will be forever more.🤗 Rest in peace Lady Diana forever more.🌷🌹
From its façade and its interior as well as their antique furnitures, and the arts are absolutely exquisite.
The company I am working now it’s just next to the house. I never knew the importance of this house😮 until I saw this video
Wonderful that the familty still look after it for generations to come. Beautiful place thnx for the video well executed.
Interesting walk-through of a rather unique part of history
I so love all the art work. It's so beautiful ❤️
Beautifully done!
Magnificent home , great tour, thank you
Such a beautiful home xxx simply amazing xxx thank you for sharing...wonderful!!!xxx
Hidden Gem in London for sure. Had the chance to Visit 2014 from Canada. Exquisite place, feels more Grand then Althorpe which we also were fortunate enough to visit same trip. Great Vlog here!
Very well done . Would have liked to have seen the kitchen, and bedrooms too.
Was there a few years back and it was hard to believe it was used as an office bldg during the day. I went on a tour with 3 other people.
Beautiful house and gardens. However I think the modern building next door needs to be disguised somehow, as it detracts greatly
from the Spencer mansion.
26 St James's Place (the modern block of flats) is itself, apparently, now Grade II* listed.
Or bulldozed 😂
Stunning and very informative!!!
Thanks so much. Really enjoyed this!
Pity about the concrete and glass aquarium next door. Rather spoils the setting, don't you think?
Thank you for your help to know about Spencer House.
thank you for the grand tour of this area keep videos like this going I enjoy history I'm gonna save to watch repeatedly anytime .
This truly the most beautiful home
I'm confused because in Spencer they said the house was boarded up? This home is a beautiful work of art, I'm happy to see it!
@@sirshendu2e01 oh I see. Thank you for clearing that up for me!
I just LOVE the Hercules sculpture of Pitt, North and Fox!! Wish I could get a replica of it! Just watched a rerun of "Prince Regent" in which all these rogues figured prominently.
Beautiful that its preserved and saved. Absolute shame that the devonshire house was torn down. I can only imagine all the wonderful parties Georgiana threw during her time in london. Now why they would allow that ugly building next door is beyond me. To me it devalues the historical context by trapping such a wonderful artifact in an ugly modern box. For the record i am antimodern architecture i think its ugly and has no imagination.
And goodness knows how many people can peer down into the Spencer House garden completely robbing the privacy it was meant to create.
Same as I.
Most of the aristocratic houses were demolished after the First World War. No one really lived - or even wanted to live - like that any longer. They had been built in residential areas in a different age and the sales value of the land was too tempting while the costs of retaining the country stately home too overwhelming.
I agree. Everton new looks prefabricated. No workmanship at all.
The original house on that site, dating from around 1690, was destroyed during the blitz and was replaced in 1959 by this block of flats, designed by Denys Lasdun and Partners.
Fascinating. Thank u
Amazing how intricate the craftsmanship and designs were in these houses!
Alice Loxton presentation was fun and very informative.
Tfsharing 💜🌌💜
Lovely little tour. Thank you!
A great narrative and an amazing view of this house. It is exquisitely beautiful, a true pleasure to see the restoration of its majestic grandeur. Thank you!
Love the garden…simplistic and beautiful.
Very interesting! Thank you!!
I'm glad you covered this...I had the intimate pleasure of restoring both facades over 2 phases. Beautiful building inside and out.
🇬🇧 I would have like to have seen the gardens during the Summer months when the flowers are in bloom.
A beautiful piece of architecture . Very pleasing to the eyes.
Wow! Love this. Wish it was a full tour of the house, is there a full video of the house? The painting the Spencer women, Georgina and her mother are those original to the house and did any of the items removed daring WWII, brought back or are they still at Althorp?
oh my darling i totally thought the same
Absolutely Gorgeous ❤
Miniature stately house she says. Well, I wish my house was as small as that.
Always unique channel pure information
Beautiful. Elaborate, and tasteful. Thank You.
Later : I see why. The place was "restored" by Lord Rothschild. He has the taste, and the money. The Spencers ? Not so much.
I wonder why the architectural items removed during WWII to Althrop weren’t reinstated when Spencer House was restored?
Much of it was. And copies were patterned after what was removed for the restoration.
My old pile was constructed in the 1800's and there is a very good reason it has stood up to be in near perfect condition and never messed with.
Trim was nailed in place with 4 inch long, heavy duty nails. And lots of them!!! While not impossible to take the trim off for some work, it was so slow, so expensive to do this work, and it caused damage to the plaster walls and ceilings that I came up with other methods of doing the work. I am not Lord Rothschild: I haven't billions to indulge my whims. But in some initial attempts to do the work proper, some things ended up getting damaged. So it was a conundrum as to how to do things properly and then finding tradesmen who could then do what they said they could do! NOT EASY!
THE neighbor across the street had a new capital installed on top of a pillar near his front door that had eroded from rain water. He found someone who showed up one day and recarved the new block of limestone with a dentist's high speed drill. Is that going too far? Is that possible for everyone? And how do you find workers like that and who are available to work anytime soon?
I found an Irish plasterer to do the major ceilings on the 1st floor. Until------ he told me he had a 3 year, or more wait----- IF he didn't retire before then!
But his work was top notch! I ended up having the room ceilings replastered over canvas. There were limits as to time, money and how far I wanted to take things. I only wanted things to how it was, not to make it more grand! Except for the ceiling plaster ornamentation. What was originally put in was a bit skimpy and I wanted a slightly more lux look, but not go way over board with it.
At any rate, once you remove things, once you deconstruct a house it doesn't always go back together so seamlessly!
It can be a real can of worms once you start.
Absolutely beautiful
Pastor please pray for the release of curses and magic. Please pray to facilitate the brain and be given intelligence. Please pray to get rid of the disease in the body. Please pray for smooth finances and be given wealth.
Very interesting! Thanks!
I so loved the way the presenter described everything it kept me engaged....very informative....enjoyed it thank you
What a beautiful house. I hope that someone lives in it? It would be such a shame if it is unused.
Charming tour.
Lovely to see what the toil of the working man was spent on... Nice it made a few people happy.
Muy interesante reportaje sobre la casa londinense de la familia Spencer. La restauración, perfecta.
Such a beautiful home 😊
Incredible!
Really interesting, and I love the enthusiasm of the presenter
Gorgeous
Why this family is so blessed
The Spencers were glorified sheep farmers. "Glorified" by female members of the family being Royal Mistresses of Charles II and giving birth to his bastards. Diana was descended from not one, but two illegitimate children of King Charles II of England: Henry Fitzroy and Charles Lennox, via two of her great-grandmothers, Adelaide Seymour and Rosalind Bingham.
Queen Camilla shares this same lineage, for those who love to put Diana on a pedestal, while looking down their noses at Queen Camilla.
Beautiful home
She is soooo fun!!!!!!! Love her energy!!
That was a wonderful video
Last part of my research spencer house is historic setting of eight rooms used as offices that provides unique setting where events and weddings can be held . Some of spencer family members is unknown kitty father of princess Diana . Diana family moved out of park house in 1975 in 1983 queen gave house to charity so they could open. Center provided respite care for people with disabilities. Spencer houses located In Northampton shire England about 13000 acres civil parish grated listed stately home its burial place parish church st Mary virgin church great Brighton including village of north creake Norfolk. No one lived at spencer house Charles brother of Diana ninth earl of spencer lived these day last family members residence in stately London home moved out in 1926 thank you for giving chance to read learn new information explore places unknown to us improve our English language as well we appreciate your efforts as foreigners subscribers as overseas students I wish for your channel more success and progress stay safe blessed good luck to you your family friends.
Lovely Home 🥰❤️
I don’t appreciate the tour guide being sarcastic though , she ruins it
Nice air guitar licks. 🤙🏼
I would love to have seen what London looked like before the blitz.
Victorian Gothic.
I assume you mean the nice end and not the squalor of the east end slums
It seems that this west side must have been hard hit; the house in which the Queen was born was also leveled during the war.
We want 1080p high-definition!
Meanwhile my ancestors toiled underground from childhood to their 30s when they were usually worked to death by that time.
Mine too....look up Pit Lane.....
漂亮的美丽建筑！😍😍😍👍👍👍
More Alice!!! More Alice!!!
Thanks Alice,
your presentation is very good, made it so interesting👍👍👌
Pastor please pray for the release of curses and magic. Please pray to facilitate the brain and be given intelligence. Please pray to get rid of the disease in the body. Please pray for smooth finances and be given wealth.
Fo-Mo is an anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere. (7:44)
Perhaps she meant TMI? Meaning Too Much Information.
The house is great, but Alice Loxton is my new fave, she's hilarious and lovely!
Host made good job.
Love it when people refer to Diana as a "commoner."
commoner word has shifted. back then if you aren't of royal blood you are a commoner, this is usually comment upon if they married a monarch, they would say he married a commoner
By law she was
@@pedanticradiator1491isn’t she an aristocrat since her father was an Earl?
@Amal M not in law. In law only people who hold Royal titles or peerages are actually aristocrats. Her title of "Lady" was by courtesy
@@AmeliaEarharrtan aristocrat is less than a Royal
Alice you are indeed a amazing historian, I ever so much enjoyed this video thanks ever so much for doing this.
I am so glad the Rothschild’s got the house, they have the resources to do it right. Beautiful house. I am related the the Spencer’s from this time, but somehow we wound up in Texas. That modern building is horrible, couldn’t they have tried to make it esthetically fit in?
Sure, your mothers second cousins friend was the sister of their postman, wasnt she?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Princess Diana was still alive and living there 💗💗💗
The Spencers rent it out to the Rothschilds
I love your videos ❤️
Oh how the other half live, from rags to riches to nobility to royalty and all done of the backs of the working class. Personally I think that the whole building is a monument to wealth and power, it is gaudy and like something out of a Greek tragedy or Roman emperors villa. I appreciate that it was the done thing to have extravagant displays of wealth by having such luxuriant “city seats” and I am glad that,from a historical perspective, it has been maintained by the Spencer family and probably public funding nowadays, and if it is publicly funded now when is it open for public viewing????, if it is not open to the public then (assuming it does have public funding) it should not receive public money, otherwise it is just another example of what wealth and power can get you off the backs of the taxpayers. Sorry,rant over, soapbox put away and spleen vented. An excellent episode from a purely historical standpoint and production, thanks for sharing. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴🇺🇦
Ok, I should have waited until the renovation was explained in full, but it doesn’t change my opinion about public funding.
The "working class" would benefit far more if currently people with wealth and power had the ambition and confidence to build such monuments. Did you not hear that a lot of the restoration has taken place recently? Hundreds of hours of skilled craftsmanship, likely paying good wages have been lavished on this house. Imagine if that was replicated more throughout society than people buying cheap, disposable tat from China?
Of course it's unfair that some people have so much.
But what's the alternative?
I live in the countryside and am surrounded by large, wealthy estates.
They employ people, more to the point they employ people in a myriad of different professions, from gardening to estate management to stoneworking to art restoration to decorating ect.
So tear it all down, build a council estate and a factory and remove all the variety of work that people enjoy, remove all the skills, remove all the crafts remove all the choices?
After all, who's going to need anything that costs a fuck ton of money to produce.
And what happens to the people, all the people, when we run out of history to exploit in the future?
What are we building now?
@@excession3076 you miss my original point, the Spencer family started out as sheep farmers so to from sheep farmer to nobility has to be because of someone’s hard work, and that usually, during that time period, meant the working class, who were either payed very little or for a roof over their heads and a meagre diet, a bit like working zero hours contracts today for companies that rake in millions of pounds profit every year, corporations that pay a living wage are still few and far between, I am not suggesting that we adopt a communist style way of running things, just close the gap between those that reap the highest rewards and those that make it possible for them to reap the rewards. Please don’t preach to me about the countryside, I was brought up in the countryside and my parents and grandparents, at various times, were employed by the local landowners and nobility, so far from wanting it ripped down for a council estate to be built you have me all wrong, the more our traditional ways are kept alive the better, the country has already lost enough countryside and traditional methods of living, but, they, along with the whole United Kingdom deserve a living wage, or is that to much to ask????, have you actually noticed that the cost of living is going through the roof? have you heard about any major pay rises that come anywhere near meeting the cost of surviving let alone living? have you seen the huge profits that companies are making and the grotesque amounts that the fat cats are being rewarded with because of their productivity bonuses? and who earned them those bonuses?. Sorry, you just don’t see the issues that started centuries ago and those same issues are as relevant today as they were back then. As for public funding, that should be targeted at those in need, not those who want Henley Regatta or the Royal Opera House to be funded so the hoy-poloy can strut their stuff, no it needs to go towards the THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.
In this particular case, a member of the very wealthy, billionaire, centuries old banking family, the Rothschild has a 99 years lease (with option for 24 more) on the Spencer House. The Rothschilds paid for the renovations which, fixtures by law, cannot be removed when the property is returned to the Spencer family after lease termination. A much improved property will be returned. I do not believe any public funds is involved here. I am glad this house is saved and is used for important and elegant affairs. I am far from rich and would certainly RSVP " Yes" to an invitation here!
@@allandavis8201 thanks. You put it in a more educational way. Don't forget that these families have the power ways and means to make up laws to protect themselves and there estates while keeping the masses subdued.
@allandavis8201TThe Spencers were glorified sheep farmers. "Glorified" by female members of the family being Royal Mistresses of Charles II and giving birth to his bastards. Diana was descended from not one, but two illegitimate children of King Charles II of England: Henry Fitzroy and Charles Lennox, via two of her great-grandmothers, Adelaide Seymour and Rosalind Bingham.
Queen Camilla shares this same lineage, for those who love to put Diana on a pedestal, while looking down their noses at Queen Camilla.
how strange that no one at all seems to like the exemplary carbuncle of modern architecture next door.
❤wow i love them🎉
If you like this you'll love "Secrets of Althorp". 🙂
Love alice!!
I can't believe that I've walked past that building hundreds of times and not realised it was called Spencer House. Am I correct in saying it's next door to the home of William Huskisson, President of the Board of Trade, first passenger to be killed as a result of falling under a railway locomotive?
My favorite history hostess! ❤ Another great your full of whimsy and facts. 😊 Thank you very much!