ARCHIBALD PRIMROSE, later 5th Lord Rosebery, reputedly had three aims in life: to marry an heiress, to win the Derby and to become Prime Minister. He managed to achieve all three. In 1878, he married Hannah de Rothschild, the sole heiress of banker Mayer Amschel de Rothschild and the wealthiest British heiress of her day. In 1894, he became Prime Minister following Gladstone’s retirement, but resigned a year later.
As a result of his marriage, Rosebery acquired the Mentmore Towers estate and Mentmore stud near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, and the Crafton Stud in Buckinghamshire. He went on to win the Derby in 1894, 1895 and 1905, and was a major force in racing for 40 years. His fortune bought him houses in Scotland, Italy and England, among
