Mandelson: living the high life at Hillsborough

July 15, 2010

Lord Mandelson's memoirs, The Third Man, are published today and shed light on the regular parties and glittering social events enjoyed by various political figures at the plush surroundings of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

He said he spent as much time at the castle as possible and was reluctant to leave, spending two Christmases there with family and Reinaldo, his partner.

He said, “I did fear that living in Hillsborough would be a bit like living in a National Trust property. It was also the official residence of the Queen in Northern Ireland, full of imposing antiques and set in wonderfully manicured grounds, with an enormous park surrounding it.

“Mo (Mowlam) assured me that it was a great place for having parties and that on many weekends she had brought friends and acquaintances over from London to enjoy the house and its gardens.

“I later learned that in the course of the party-goers’ boozy fun and games, even bouncing up and down on the Queen’s imposing bed had not been unheard of.

“My subsequent use of the house would be decidedly sober in contrast,” he added.