Duke of Portland's Underground Obsession

William Cavendish (1800–1879), the 5th Duke of Portland, was a man whose life was marked by an increasing obsession with seclusion and eccentric building projects. His transformation into a recluse was a stark departure from his earlier public life, as he was previously a fairly prominent figure. As his life progressed, Cavendish undertook vast building endeavors, with a particular penchant for constructing underground structures that he could enjoy in complete solitude. This peculiar fascination led to an intriguing paradox: Welbeck Abbey, his family estate, became home to thousands of workers engaged in these covert construction projects.

One of the most striking features of Welbeck Abbey was the underground ballroom, one of the largest in England. What made this ballroom exceptionally unusual was that it was capable of hosting thousands of guests, yet no one other than the Duke himself was ever invited. Servants who had the opportunity to meet the Duke during their work were given strict instructions to completely ignore him. Any acknowledgment of his presence was met with dismissal. In his later years, Cavendish's reclusive tendencies were so pronounced that he largely confined himself to his bedroom. Meals were passed to him through a slot in the door, further emphasizing his desire for isolation and avoidance of social contact.