Waddesdon Manor to host Sleeping Beauty Christmas event

Waddesdon Manor, located near Aylesbury and to the east of Oxfordshire, was originally built by the Rothschild family and will host the festive experience from November 15 until January 5, 2025.

The French Renaissance-style chateau built was by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874 to entertain the fashionable world and to house his collection of fine art.

The story of the beautiful princess who, cursed by a wicked fairy, falls into a 100-year slumber from which only the kiss of true love will wake her, holds special significance for the Rothschild family.

Waddesdon Manor at Christmas (Image: Chris Lacey) In 1913, James and Dorothy de Rothschild commissioned Belarusian artist and stage designer Léon Bakst to paint seven panels depicting scenes from Sleeping Beauty.

These panels, which use Rothschild family members, friends, staff, and pets as models for the characters, will provide inspiration for the event.

A spokesperson for Waddesdon said: "Taking this magical story - and these paintings - as inspiration, a team of internationally renowned designers and artists are creating Waddesdon’s most enchanting Christmas experience yet with theatrical installations, projections, and soundscapes bringing the much-loved fairy tale to life in some of the manor’s grandest rooms."

Christmas fair at Waddesdon (Image: Chris Lacey) Visitors can expect decorated interiors, new light projections on the manor facade, and a light trail in the gardens, as well as the return of the Christmas market.