Gathering and Celebrating

We are a special place for gathering and celebrating. From Duchess Georgiana’s fashionable 18th-century parties to contemporary weddings, this spectacular setting has hosted breathtaking events and intimate get-togethers for 300 years.

Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire’s parties at Chiswick were renowned. Notable guests included the politician Charles James Fox who later died in the Bedchamber in 1806.

Georgiana’s son William George Spencer Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, was known as ‘the Bachelor Duke’. He never married, despite being one of the richest and most eligible men in England. The Duke introduced some new and exotic residents to Chiswick, including an elephant called Sadi, elks, emus, kangaroos, and an Indian bull. He famously hosted an elaborate celebration for Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and 700 members of the British nobility. His guests breakfasted in Chiswick’s Summer Parlour, which had been transformed into a tent for the occasion. Out in the gardens, four giraffes wandered by the water’s edge, escorted by keepers in Egyptian dress. Find out more:

An Emperor and an Aristocrat’s Menagerie | English Heritage (english-heritage.org.uk)

In the 19th century the House was let to tenants, including the Prince of Wales. Guests to the prince’s celebrated garden parties included two Russian tsars, the King of Prussia, and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. To find out more visit Queen Victoria at Chiswick House – The Chiswick Calendar

Today we host over 80,000 guests each year for private weddings and parties in our wonderful Garden Pavilion, open air cinema and theatre, circus and music events. We also have a full outdoor activity programme from kids’ holiday camps and yoga by the Ionic Temple to organised walks in our gardens. We really do have something for everyone, every day.