A Peek Inside The Historic Dumfries House

Ever wondered where princes and princesses spend their royal weekends? The answer: At their country estates, of course. In the case of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, his private retreat is the now fully rejuvenated Dumfries House in Scotland. Described as "the most gloriously intact 18th-century house in Scotland" this property possesses the requisite Chippendale furnishings, curated antiquities and gilt-framed art one would expect from a royal hideaway. In fact, the property has at least 50 examples from "a fledgling cabinetmaker" named Thomas Chippendale which were ordered straight from the workshop in 1759 by the fifth Earl of Dumfries.

Even with such a pedigreed past, the once esteemed property was recently at risk of being sold and its rare collector's pieces auctioned off. The Prince himself got wind of the fate of the mansion and intervened. Why? He's a true advocate of British craftsmanship and understands the importance and significance of preserving of integrity of the exquisite collection of art and furnishings on the property.

You'll want to read the full story at Architectural Digest, but suffice it to say His Highness was able to drum up some $90 million to not only restore and preserve the property, but to make it available to "for anyone who cares about great architecture and decoration."

Margaret Russell appeared this morning on the Today show in a rare television interview to discuss the estate. She shares more on the interesting history of the property and its royal rescue. See Margaret's morning appearance here. The next time you're in Ayrshire, Scotland, the Dumfries House ought to rank high on your list of grand locations.After all, if this 18th-century Palladian villa is grand enough for the Prince of Wales it ought to be worthy of a few hours time on your travel itinerary.