Heritage > Historic Houses
Woburn Abbey
The Reynolds Room
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On entering this room you have left behind the splendour of Flitcroft's west wing and enter the Private Apartments and the Holland south wing. This room has been used in the past as a waiting-room, and also a breakfast-room, and it is here that the Russell family often take breakfast and where give informal luncheon and dinner parties. All the paintings in this room are by the famous eighteenth-century portrait painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92). One of the most beautiful family portraits in the house is the painting of Lady Elizabeth Keppel in the dress she wore as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Queen Charlotte. Elizabeth is seen garlanding the bust of Hymen, the God of Marriage.
Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Albemarle, was married to Francis, Marquess of Tavistock, only son of the 4th Duke. Francis, whose portrait hangs near his wife, was attractive, intelligent, and had a loveable nature. There is no need to say that before his marriage he was very popular with the young ladies, and there were some broken hearts when, according to Walpole, ÒLord Tavistock has flung his handkerchief and except for a few jealous sultans . . . who had marketable daughters everybody is pleased that the lot has fallen on Lady Elizabeth Keppel.Ó It proved to be a very happy, though tragically short marriage; Francis died three years later as the result of a hunting accident leaving his wife with two boys and expecting another. Elizabeth had been passionately in love with her husband and from that day she carried a miniature in her hand or close to her heart until she too died eighteen months later of a broken heart. The three young boys were brought up by their grandparents. The 4th Dukes Room is open to viewing.
On the mantelpiece are some unusual triple spill vases marked Flight and Barr Worcester ( c. 1807). Nearly all the bronze figures were collected by Francis on the Grand Tour. The furniture in this room is attributed to Henry Holland who Wrote to his patron the 5th Duke in 1796, Òon the articles of furniture, was anyone to examine the endless drawings I have made . . . they would not envy me my charge on that account.'
Other important painting collections can be found in the Canaletto Room and The Parlour.
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