39 min listen
Belvoir Special Ep. 6: The Business of Belvoir
FromDuchess
ratings:
Length:
29 minutes
Released:
Dec 22, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Episode Description:
For our final episode of this very special series, the Duchess will be meeting with the CEO of Belvoir Castle, Emma Stenning, to discuss the business of Belvoir: past, present and future. In their conversation, the Duchess explains how historically a family like the Manners would have made their money, the Duchess reveals to Emma when she plans to retire, and we finally learn who has more staff - Belvoir or the Beckhams!
Top Quotes:
“I think of you [The Duchess of Rutland] as the artistic director of Belvoir. You have so many ideas, such great clarity of vision. I’ve worked with so many great artists and you’re another one.” - Emma Stenning
“This is a theatre. Life’s a stage and I’m just playing the game. I will always be miss Emma Watkins - that Welsh farmer’s daughter.” - Duchess of Rutland
About Belvoir Castle:
Belvoir Castle is a 16,000-acre estate in Leicestershire, it’s history dates back to the 11th century in 1067. Crowning a hill, the Castle’s turrets and towers rise over the Vale of Belvoir, designed by the legendary landscape architect Capability Brown. The Belvoir Estate has been passed down through 36 successive generations of the Manners family, and an unbroken line of Dukes of Rutland for nearly 1000 years. James Wyatt, the renowned architect of Windsor Castle, designed the remodelled the Castle between 1801-1832 for the 5th Duke and Duchess of Rutland. Today, Belvoir Castle is one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in Britain and a modern working estate. In addition, the gardens have undergone several major changes over the centuries – the latest being a two-year restoration programme by the present Duchess to bring the lost plans of Capability Brown to fruition in 2016.
About the Host:
Emma, Duchess of Rutland, grew up far away from the world of the aristocracy. Born Emma Watkins, the Duchess grew up the daughter of a Quaker farmer, in the Welsh countryside. She trained as an opera singer in the Guildhall School of Music, and worked as a successful interior designer before meeting her future husband David Manners, the 11th Duke of Rutland, at a dinner party. Their marriage in 1992 thrust Emma into a new world, which included the responsibility of preserving one of the nation's greatest stately homes: Belvoir Castle. While simultaneously running the day to day operations of the castle, and raising five children, the Duchess became fascinated with the history and importance of the other stately homes of the UK. Join Emma as she embarks on a wonderful journey through time, to learn more about the incredible homes that have defined Great Britain and, most importantly, meet the other extraordinary women who work tirelessly in the background, to preserve their homes history and magic for future generations.
Resources:
https://www.belvoircastle.com/
https://www.onefineplay.com/
https://www.emmaduchessrutland.com/
https://www.belvoircastle.com/cinderella-at-belvoir/
This podcast was sponsored by BetterHelp. To Learn more and save 10% off your first month visit BetterHelp.com/duchess
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For our final episode of this very special series, the Duchess will be meeting with the CEO of Belvoir Castle, Emma Stenning, to discuss the business of Belvoir: past, present and future. In their conversation, the Duchess explains how historically a family like the Manners would have made their money, the Duchess reveals to Emma when she plans to retire, and we finally learn who has more staff - Belvoir or the Beckhams!
Top Quotes:
“I think of you [The Duchess of Rutland] as the artistic director of Belvoir. You have so many ideas, such great clarity of vision. I’ve worked with so many great artists and you’re another one.” - Emma Stenning
“This is a theatre. Life’s a stage and I’m just playing the game. I will always be miss Emma Watkins - that Welsh farmer’s daughter.” - Duchess of Rutland
About Belvoir Castle:
Belvoir Castle is a 16,000-acre estate in Leicestershire, it’s history dates back to the 11th century in 1067. Crowning a hill, the Castle’s turrets and towers rise over the Vale of Belvoir, designed by the legendary landscape architect Capability Brown. The Belvoir Estate has been passed down through 36 successive generations of the Manners family, and an unbroken line of Dukes of Rutland for nearly 1000 years. James Wyatt, the renowned architect of Windsor Castle, designed the remodelled the Castle between 1801-1832 for the 5th Duke and Duchess of Rutland. Today, Belvoir Castle is one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in Britain and a modern working estate. In addition, the gardens have undergone several major changes over the centuries – the latest being a two-year restoration programme by the present Duchess to bring the lost plans of Capability Brown to fruition in 2016.
About the Host:
Emma, Duchess of Rutland, grew up far away from the world of the aristocracy. Born Emma Watkins, the Duchess grew up the daughter of a Quaker farmer, in the Welsh countryside. She trained as an opera singer in the Guildhall School of Music, and worked as a successful interior designer before meeting her future husband David Manners, the 11th Duke of Rutland, at a dinner party. Their marriage in 1992 thrust Emma into a new world, which included the responsibility of preserving one of the nation's greatest stately homes: Belvoir Castle. While simultaneously running the day to day operations of the castle, and raising five children, the Duchess became fascinated with the history and importance of the other stately homes of the UK. Join Emma as she embarks on a wonderful journey through time, to learn more about the incredible homes that have defined Great Britain and, most importantly, meet the other extraordinary women who work tirelessly in the background, to preserve their homes history and magic for future generations.
Resources:
https://www.belvoircastle.com/
https://www.onefineplay.com/
https://www.emmaduchessrutland.com/
https://www.belvoircastle.com/cinderella-at-belvoir/
This podcast was sponsored by BetterHelp. To Learn more and save 10% off your first month visit BetterHelp.com/duchess
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
Dec 22, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (58)
Alexandra Sitwell of Renishaw Hall & Gardens: Episode Description: In today’s episode, the Duchess journeys to Renishaw Hall and Gardens to meet Alexandra Sitwell. In the show, the ladies discuss why Renishaw became known as ‘the ancestral home of the English eccentric’, Alexandra introduces us to the iconic literary trio that lived at Renishaw, and we are taken on a tour of the unforgettable gardens that surround the home today. Top Quotes:"These houses have a soul." - Alexandra"The borders of the gardens have the most beautiful flowers. The vistas remind you that you could be in Italy. That's why the gardens of stately homes have been so important to people during this time. Here we are in the middle of Derbyshire, 7 miles from Sheffield, with these fabulous gardens that can take you to another world." - DuchessIt's a love affair with these houses. They scoop you up and, in a way, you can never put them down." - Duchess"My father used to refer to Renishaw as 'My Mistress of old: Unpr by Duchess