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Accepting a dinner invitation with Stephen and Virginia Courtauld could be risky. While lavish hospitality was always on the menu at Eltham Palace, some guests received unexpected excitement under the table.
The mischievous culprit was none other than Mah-Jongg. Purchased by Stephen from the esteemed London department store Harrods in 1923, this ring-tailed lemur became an integral part of the Courtauld family and continues to leave its mark on the Grade II*-listed house.
Eltham Palace, located in south-east London and once a childhood home of Henry VIII, lay in ruins until the millionaire couple acquired a 99-year lease for the site from the Crown in 1933. Known for their adventurous spirit and love for exploration on their yacht, Stephen and Virginia commissioned the renowned architects John Seely and Paul Paget to restore the surviving 15th-century Great Hall and seamlessly integrate it into a luxurious modern home that combined Art Deco with medieval elements.
While some critics initially described the property as resembling a “cigarette factory” and accused it of “destroying” the historic building, Tessa Kilgarriff, curator of collections and interiors at English Heritage, explains that over time, people have come to respect the harmonious blend of old and new.
In 1936, Stephen and Virginia, whose wealth stemmed from the family’s textile business, made Eltham Palace their permanent residence. Although they did not have children of their own, they had been caring for Virginia’s nephews, Peter and Paul Peirano, since the late 1920s following their parents’ separation.
The house, featuring exquisite wood panelling and built-in furniture, was designed for extravagant entertainment. The entrance hall, with its Swedish-style dome, is flanked by gentlemen’s and ladies’ cloakrooms equipped with toilets, as well as a payphone for guests. Beneath the rug lies a hidden parquet dance floor.
Mah-Jongg, known for his mischievous escapades, would descend the bamboo ladder from his centrally heated first-floor quarters adorned with a hand-painted scene of the Madagascan rainforest. He would freely roam around the ground floor, leaving his mark throughout the house. In fact, a mural depicting Mah-Jongg can be found in the basement billiard room, and a portrait of him, Stephen, and Virginia painted by British artist Leonard Campbell Taylor in 1934 hangs in between the couple’s separate bedrooms.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
