Here I am at my first country house many years ago….I’m guessing 1991. My first trip to England and my first house was Blenheim Palace. Not bad, right? I mean, my matching floral early 90’s ensemble was not up to snuff for tea, but no one kicked me out.
I was there to take a class in Oxford, but I found a classmate to go with me, figured out the bus schedule, and made it happen. I’ve ditched taking someone with me all of the time, but doing what it takes to see what I want to see is still number one on the agenda. You only live once and my bucket list is long.
I wanted to write a post about the Duke of Marlborough when he passed away last year. As a young kid from the US, he was the first real, live aristocrat that I saw on TV and read about. I love to read about the heroes, ghosts, and every day people who populated Blenheim through the years.
The Vanderbilt/American connection drew me in also. My own answer to royalty were the Vanderbilts and Consuelo was Queen in my eyes. Now that I’ve read so much more and learned so much more, I know that Consuelo was not a saint, but visiting Blenheim was the ultimate for 20 something me.
melaniemcgurr
Country House Lane 