The inside story of modern espionage" and "How to Stay Married", the programme for Cliveden Literary Festival could hardly be more apt. Cliveden House, in Buckinghamshire, was where Conservative ...

Built in 1666 and formerly home to the Astor family, Cliveden House has hosted powerful personalities ... straight into the burgundy-and-dark-wood interior of what is now a five-star hotel.

Yet, this is not Ibiza but, rather, Berkshire, and instead of chilling out on a beach, I’m in the spa at the iconic Cliveden House. Cliveden House was built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham.

To Queen Victoria’s dismay, the house was sold to the American Astor family in 1893, to be run by the formidable Nancy: Christian Scientist, devotee of icy baths, the first woman to take a seat in ...