THE OPERA HOUSE

Sir Walter Cope 1605

Opera Holland parks History began in 1605 when diplomat sir Walter Cope built a Jacobean style house on a large piece of green land that later became known as Holland park.

Originally it was known as Cope castle,

Holland house was one of the first great

houses in Kensington. After being inherited

cope's son-in-law Henry Rich, The house

passed through various members of the

family of the earl of Holland and then to

the Edwards family in 1721. In 1874 the

estate was transferred to the Earl of Ilchester . Under the third lord Holland House was noted as a glittering social, literary and the political centre with many celebrated visitors such as Byron, Macaulay,

Disraeli, Dickens and Sir Walter Scott. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen mother and King George V1 attended the last great ball held at the house a few weeks before the outbreak of the second world war.

by Tahllia