I’ve been suffering from, Droughtlander, but it is almost over now that the second season of the Starz TV Series “Outlander” will FINALLY premiere on April 9. While last season was all about rainy, freezing, and gray Scotland, this season is Paris – as in 18th century Paris.
Heaven!
Instead of drab stone interiors in Scottish castles, the show is now all gilt and crystal and silks and satins. The previews of Outlander’s Parisian sets look luscious.
No, we aren’t in merry ol’ Scotland anymore. Here, Claire and Jamie are shown on their way to a ball at Versailles and they couldn’t look any more gorgeous.
I’ll be blogging about the beautiful sets – especially since I’m so excited about Outlander’s Parisian settings. But Hollywood isn’t always what it seems.
While Outlanders’ Season 2 is set in Paris, the filming of interiors actually was done on the Scottish soundstage and for exteriors – in Prague. Some Scottish castles and gardens filled in for Versailles, including the famous Drummond gardens and the fabulous Wilton House.
Wilton House & The Palladian Bridge:
You are probably familiar with Wilton House through the artist Rex Whistler and his friend Edith Olivier. Edith lived at Daye House which was actually on the Wilton House Estate. And Whistler visited often – his paintings (above) of the house and it’s famous bridge are legendary.
Edith Olivier shown in front of Wilton House’s Palladian Bridge. Olivier is the one who found nearby Ashcombe for her friend, society photographer Cecil Beaton, to rent. And Beaton was a long-time friend of the Pembrokes, the family who has lived at Wilton House for over 400 years.
Note: Last year I wrote a story about Beaton and later, Madonna, at Ashcombe HERE.
But if you aren’t familiar with Wilton House through the Beaton/Rex Whistler connection, you probably will recognize it through Hollywood – the house has starred in numerous movies and cable shows.
If you have seen a few of the following movies, then you have been to Wilton House: The Music Lover, Barry Lyndon, Scandal, The Madness of King George, Sense & Sensibility, Mrs. Brown, The Young Victoria, The Crossing, and any number of TV shows in Britain like The Antique Roadshow. That Outlander would choose to film at Wilton House is no surprise. It just makes the anticipation of the new season all that more exciting.
Why Wilton House? It’s not the biggest house in England, like Blenheim, nor is it the grandest like Chatsworth, and it is not the most famous like Althorp. Yet, critic after critic cite Wilton House with its stunning art collection and its gardens as one of their favorite estates.
It should be no surprise that Outlander chose to film there – its main drawing room is drop dead gorgeous and it can certainly fill in for Versailles even though it is located in Salisbury, a hop, skip and jump from Stonehenge.
Wilton House has been the seat of the Earl of Pembroke for over 400 years. The estate was originally a priory in 871, funded by King Egbert – the remains of this early monastery were uncovered during recent renovations. Later, King Alfred added land to the priory, making it very wealthy and powerful. In the 12th century it became a Benedictine Abbey and in 1544, King Henry VIII seized it, awarding it to William Herbert, the 1st Earl of Pembroke.
Today, the 18th Earl, William Herbert, lives on the estate with his wife and three children. Wilton House, once over 60,000 acres, today now has 14,500 acres, 140 employees, 14 farms, and 200 residential properties. In 1983 1/3 of the estate became a charitable trust which helps to insure its survival. Today, the family actually has to pay rent to live in the private section!
William Herbert, The First Earl of Pembroke (love his mini bubble skirt!!!) was noted for his fierce temper and hot-headed nature. His first wife was Anne Parr, sister of Catherine Parr the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. Herbert was knighted after his sister-in-law married the King, who then gave him Wilton Abbey along with other lands, which he had “seized.”
Here the 14th Earl dressed up as the 1st Earl – in a very similar mini bubble skirt!
The current 18th Earl of Pembroke is known as Right Honorable, the 18th Earl of Pembroke, the 15th earl of Montgomery, Baron Herbert of Cardiff, Baron Herbert of Shurland and Baron Herbert of Lea. Whew.
He inherited the title in 2005, when he was just 25, still single and very lonely; he was even scared at night to be living in the huge house – alone. To keep him company, he bought a dog, Tate, a deerhound – named for his great-great grandfather who started Tate Gallery.
The current Earl, Will, as he is known by his friends. Official portrait by Adrian Gottlieb HERE.
When Will became the Earl, he also became England’s most eligible bachelor. He talked of his need for a wife and a male heir in the few interviews he gave. Model handsome, it didn’t hurt that he was also, overnight, worth more than $15o million.
Wilton House & the Bridge.
Will & his wife.
Will’s father, the 17th Earl, had started a very large and important restoration project and the current Earl, along with his wife, an interior designer, have continued the work, for which they have won numerous awards.
The renovation includes new gardens and the complete restoration of the Inigo Jones South Front. All the state rooms are also being restored, and so is the Dining Room which was singled out for several prestigious awards.
Through the years, many of the Earls and the Countesses have been exceptional people – architects, artists, and philanthropists. The family was enormously wealthy and they were friends and patrons to the finest of the Renaissance: Philip Sidney, Walter Raleigh, Shakespeare, John Donne, George Herbert, Inigo Jones, Isaac de Caus and van Dyck – are but a few names associated with the Pembrokes.
Whew!!!! Amazing!!!!
In more recent times, during both world wars, the house was used as a military hospital and during WWII, Eisenhower planned the D-Day invasion with Churchill at Wilton House. The family has had a long association with the royals. Prince Charles attended a house party that honored the birth of the current Earl (he was the much anticipated heir born after three older sisters.) His father, the 17th Earl, was a film director and producer and even dated Princess Diana in between marriages!!
The present Earl is quite an interesting man – he collects vintage and race cars and each year he spends 10 months planning a large, world class auto event at Wilton. He also hosts all sorts of events such as horse trials and antique fairs. He was a published designer – known as Will Herbert - at Conran & Partners - before he inherited his title and he truly has an artistic eye. He loves photography and collects antique cameras. He says he lives in about 1/3 of the house and is lucky to do so. Many others with these historic houses use the small back apartments. And he says he lucky to be able to heat the house, another luxury. Many people freeze in large houses, but he has heat and lots of fireplaces. He says he loves to cook and he loves to wear blue jeans. He’s as normal as you and me!!
The house. The red circle shows the romantic and very beautiful Palladian bridge on the River Nadder. It was built on an axis to the front entrance of the house. Wilton House is a large square with 4 connecting wings which create an internal courtyard.
The Palladian Bridge over the River Nadder is world famous. The bridge was used in outdoor scenes when Outlander filmed its Season Two at Wilton House.
Another view of the bridge with a huge Cedar of Lebanon shown on the left.
