©Ashley Hicks

Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, is one of England’s greatest country houses and a remarkable testament to the ambition and vision of William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. The most powerful courtier of the Elizabethan age, Cecil designed the house with Dutch Renaissance architect Hans Vredeman de Vries. Constructed between 1555 and 1587, Burghley’s exterior reflects a striking blend of 16th-century architectural influences, incorporating fashionable French and Italian styles. Inside, the opulent State Rooms house one of the finest privately owned collections of Old Master paintings in England. Over the centuries, the Cecil family also acquired an exceptional range of fine English and Continental furniture, rare 17th-century tapestries, English portrait miniatures, Chinese snuff bottles, over 800 pieces of Asian and European ceramics among other notable works of art. The interiors also showcase dramatic Baroque decorative painting, most famously the Heaven Room and the Hell Staircase, both painted by Antonio Verrio. Burghley has remained the seat of the Cecil family for over 16 generations and is currently home to Miranda Rock and her family. Join Royal Oak members and supporters for a special digital tour, presented by the guardian of Burghley. Ms. Rock will highlight the house’s extraordinary interiors, explore the family’s collections, and share stories about the family’s long history and their role as stewards. She will also discuss the ongoing work of preserving and maintaining Burghley House for future generations.

Miranda Rock is a direct descendant of William Cecil. Her grandfather, the sixth Marquess, set up the Burghley House Preservation Trust. Her mother, Lady Victoria, was the first director of until 2007. Together with her husband, Orlando, and four young children, Miranda lives at Burghley House—something she considers both a privilege and a passion. She has said that she feels that Burghley is not a museum, but a home housing a historical collection, formed of items that the owners have collected over the years. “That is the value of this house, it’s a record of taste. It’s the sort of thing that sends a chill down your spine, knowing that the ninth Earl went to Naples, chose a picture, and you can see where he hung it.”

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members
*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account