With exclusive access to Alnwick Castle, Jane Percy – The Duchess of Northumberland – welcomes Channel 4 viewers into her incredible home.
The Grade I listed, world-famous 11th-century castle boasts 12 acres of lush gardens and is as much of a formidable character as Her Grace, The Duchess. Known for her brave projects, Jane’s about to embark on her biggest one yet: a giant magical kingdom – Lilidorei – designed for little and big kids alike and based on a fairy-tale village she dreamt up.
The series follows the Lilidorei build over two years and the great characters that keep Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden ticking, from breaking ground to the opening day. In this first episode, the Duchess takes us on a tour of her incredible home, sharing the story of each room and her costly renovation ambitions.
The Duchess walks through her extraordinary visions of Lilidorei, with dreams of the world’s largest play structure, nine different clan houses and a hobgoblin prison. As the site team break ground, problems occur almost immediately when builders discover an ancient culvert on the site and the ramifications mean the budget ramps up by an enormous £13 million.
Can the Duchess rethink her visions and get back on track? Her previous multi-million-pound project was the renovation of The Alnwick Garden back in 1997. The garden attracts millions of visitors every year, and local naturists are no exception when they have an evening to explore the grounds alone – with senior gardener Ben stripping off to give them a tour. The Duchess also starts a second side project – the authentic renovation of an ancient bathroom in the castle – and hosts an awards ceremony, a big deal for head butler Jan, who’s just getting used to his new job.
The Duchess and her Magical Kingdom begins this afternoon on Channel 4.
