Son of American expat multi-millionaire William Waldorf Astor, Waldorf Astor was given Cliveden as a wedding present when he married Virginia-born Nancy Witcher Langhorne.
Nancy Astor was the first woman to sit in Parliament. She continued a tradition of hospitality (the house had hosted every British monarch since George I) and entertained actors and celebrities, politicians and artists. Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt and George Bernard Shaw were all guests. In fact, when former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan heard Cliveden was to become a hotel, he is reported to have remarked, "My dear boy, it always has been."
A portrait of the glamorous Nancy Astor by John Singer Sargent graces the great hall of Cliveden. If Nancy looks a bit like a Gibson girl, that should come as no surprise. Her sister Irene married Charles Dana Gibson and became the model for the Gibson girl.
Cliveden Essentials
- Address: Cliveden, Taplow, Berkshire, SL6 OJF
- Telephone: +44 (0)1628 668561
- Price Band: $$$ - $$$$ - but watch the Internet for deals
- Additional Information Cliveden House Website
- Book Now
