At the time of her visit to Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, in 1890, an elderly Queen Victoria was approaching her 71st birthday. She'd been on the throne for over half a century and was still in mourning for her beloved Albert more than 30 years after his death.
By this stage of her life, Victoria lived a life of seclusion, spending most of her time at Osborne House, Balmoral and Windsor. So for her host, French-born Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, her visit was a huge honour. It was a great chance to rub shoulders with the Queen and show off the country pad he'd built in the style of a French chateau.
