DISCOVERKENT
RETURN TO THE 1930s with Leeds Castle
A BRAND NEW EXHIBITION INSPIRED BY ICONIC FORMER OWNER LADY OLIVE BAILLIE , LEEDS CASTLE INVITES GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF THE 1930s . SHOWCASING HER MAGNIFICENT LEGACY AND REVEALING AN EXUBERANT WORLD OF HIGH SOCIETY PARTIES , ACCEPT YOUR INVITATION TO THE CASTLE ’ S GLITTERING PAST . BY OLIVIA RICCINI
For the first time in over 30 years , Leeds Castle has launched new immersive displays to bring the castle and its history to life by introducing guests to one of the most sophisticated , yet enigmatic female owners of the castle , Lady Olive Baillie . On Tuesday 12th April , the insideKENT team attended a very special launch of this brand new exhibition and were transported back in time to the exotic days of Lady Baillie ’ s magnificent house parties and to witness the careful restoration of the castle that allowed it to remain a beautiful Kent treasure .
In order to fasttrack yourself into getting a strong sense of what Lady Olive Baillie was really like , imagine a female Great Gatsby . Anglo-American heiress , Lady Olive Baillie transformed the castle into one of the most desirable country houses of the 20th century . As a highly sought after weekend retreat , Lady Baillie ’ s guests included Hollywood stars like Errol Flynn and David Niven , along with the rest of society ’ s finest , which included leading politicians like Chips Channon and a young John . F . Kennedy , all of whom partied within the castle ’ s walls .
Much like the legendary F . Scott Fitzgerald character , however , Lady Baillie proved to be largely elusive and very little detail has been recorded about her personal affairs . “ She was just so good at keeping out of the tabloid press ,” Sue Prichard , head curator at Leeds Castle tells us . “ She would even slip away at her own parties and retire to her room upstairs to watch movies .” We are standing in what was once Lady Baillie ’ s grand party room , where silhouettes of flapper dancers and jazz musicians are projected onto the wall giving us glimpses into a raucous world of the roaring 20s and 30s , the sound of which would have once bounced off these very walls . Sue stands aside and reveals a narrow secret staircase ; it is easy to imagine the elegant Lady Baillie slipping away like smoke up these stairs to escape the flamboyant scenes she had created below .
“ We all turned around and looked for Gatsby . It was testimony to the romantic speculation he inspired that there were whispers about him from those who had found little that it was necessary to whisper about in this world .” - F . Scott Fitzgerald , The Great Gatsby
Guests at Leeds Castle will find themselves immersed in Lady Baillie ’ s glamorous world even before they set foot through the castle doors .
Purchasing the castle and grounds in 1926 , over her 50-year residency at the castle , Lady Baillie gave the place some much needed love , care and attention , as well as money , to rescue , restore and upkeep it . “ Leeds Castle is predominantly a female castle ,” explains Sue . “ Long before Lady Baillie , the castle ’ s identity has been influenced by female owners and queens , each adding their own unique touch to create its soft , elegant beauty . It is this that makes it so different from typical medieval fortress castles .” This beauty strikes guests from the moment they arrive , fairytale scenes of lakes and turrets mixed with the descendants of Lady Baillie ’ s treasured waterbirds evoke a romantic paradise , one that Lady Baillie was clearly very much in love with .
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