Highclere Castle and the Pharaoh's Curse
Highclere Castle, the backdrop for Downton Abbey, is an 18th-century Hampshire estate that was home to the Earl of Carnarvon. The 5th Earl funded the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt but died the following year from an infected mosquito bite, fueling rumors of the "Pharaoh's Curse." His wealth came from his wife Almina, the illegitimate daughter of banker Alfred de Rothschild. After his death, she became embroiled in a court case over money with her new husband's ex-wife, accumulated huge debts, and was declared bankrupt before her death in 1969 aged 93. The current 8th Earl still resides there.
Cliveden House and the Profumo Affair
In July 1961, a party at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire led to a notorious scandal. Model Christine Keeler, 20, met married Tory politician John Profumo, 46, at the mansion's pool where she swam nude. Keeler also had an affair with Soviet diplomat and spy Eugene Ivanov. Profumo later denied the affair but was forced to resign after admitting lying. Owner Lord Astor was also implicated; when he denied an affair with model Mandy Rice-Davies, she famously quipped: "Well he would, wouldn't he?"
Wilton House and a Murderous Earl
Wilton House in Wiltshire was home to the 7th Earl of Pembroke, Philip Herbert, in the 17th century. Known for his violent temper, he kept scores of dogs, a bear, and a lion. In 1678, he kicked a man to death in a tavern but used his title to avoid conviction. Later that year, a jury member was found impaled on his own sword; the Earl was suspected but escaped justice. In 1680, he killed another man in a pub and fled abroad, securing a royal pardon.
Appuldurcombe House and the Scandalous Lady Worsley
In 1775, 17-year-old Seymour Fleming married Sir Richard Worsley and lived at Appuldurcombe House on the Isle of Wight. Lady Worsley took 27 lovers and had a child by her husband's friend Maurice George Bisset, with whom she eloped. Lord Worsley sued Bisset, but court revelations showed he had encouraged his wife's affairs and even spied on her through a keyhole. After splitting with Bisset, Lady Worsley became a professional mistress and ended up in a Paris jail during the French Revolution.
Chatsworth House and the Duchess's Love Triangle
Chatsworth House in Derbyshire was home to Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, played by Keira Knightley in the 2008 film The Duchess. She lived in a Georgian "throuple" with her husband the 5th Duke and her friend Lady Bess Foster. The Duchess also had an affair with future Prime Minister Charles Grey, bearing his child. After her death in 1806, Bess married the Duke but always kept a lock of the Duchess's hair around her neck.
Brocket Hall and Naked Dinner Parties
Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, an 18th-century mansion, was owned by Victorian Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. His wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, once emerged naked from a soup tureen at his birthday party and danced on the table. She later had a tempestuous affair with poet Lord Byron, calling him "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." Another prime minister, Lord Palmerston, reportedly died at Brocket Hall in 1865 while romping with a maid on a billiard table. During World War Two, the 2nd Baron Brocket was imprisoned as a Nazi sympathiser.
