Temple

In its basic layout—Palladian structure, topiarized parterre, broad parade, clock tower, Neptune fountain, sounding room with a wonderfully ornate grille—Bronaryre’s estate is loosely based on Cliveden House. Sabrina’s room, too, was inspired by Cliveden’s Lady Astor suite, including the fanciful Jacobean fireplace that fueled Sabrina’s phantasmagorical dreams (pictured).

However, there are many differences: Cliveden is located on the Berkshire-Buckinghamshire border, just ten miles northwest of Heathrow, and sits on the mighty Thames rather than the modest Windrush. Also, although it has been home to a Prince, two Dukes, an Earl, and four Viscounts, as far as is known no one claiming to be the Lord of the Underworld has ever occupied the place. Nevertheless, there is a certain scandalous reputation to Cliveden that might appeal to that gentleman: the original house was built by George Villiers, the second Duke of Buckingham, son of a rogue and himself a rogue: he used the place to stash his mistress, and killed her husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, in a duel over her; between the World Wars it was the scene of lavish parties on a Gatsbyesque scale, hosted by the Astors and whose guest lists included luminaries as varied as Charlie Chaplin, Mahatma Gandhi & Lawrence of Arabia; more lately, it was the setting for the key events in the Profumo affair.