Founded in 1862 in London, the Ghost Club is an organization specializing in the investigation and study of ghosts and paranormal phenomena. A member of the club, after a few days at Heunden Manor in the early 1970s, wrote a detailed report describing what she had seen and felt at the estate. Coupled with the accounts of previous witnesses, it is firmly believed that Disraeli has not really left.
Not far from London, Heunden Manor is a red brick house. The manor and the nearby land were originally owned by the royal family. In 1539, the King gave it as a gift to Sir Robert Domer. After several turns, Disraeli's father rented it for a long time. In 1848, Disraeli became leader of the Conservative Party in Britain. He was told that as the head of a big party, he needed to have his own good properties.
Disraeli borrowed £25,000, bought the manor house where he had lived for many years, renovated and built several serious gardens, and the manor became a meeting place for famous politicians near London. In addition to being the leader of the Conservative Party, Disraeli, who also served as chancellor of the exchequer, was twice prime minister of the United Kingdom. Although his first term was very short, and he was 70 years old at the time.
He is best known for stealing the Egyptian governor's shares in the Suez Canal Company with lightning speed, plus buying it from other retail investors, and taking control of the Suez Canal in one fell swoop. At that time, while preventing the Egyptians from contacting the French, he asked Lionel Rothschild, not the Bank of England, to raise money for him, and signed the agreement while the French were still confused.
At that time, 80% of the ships that passed through the Suez Canal were British companies. The day after the deal was struck, the Prime Minister wrote a note to the Queen: "Your Excellency, now this canal is yours. Some people commented that this was the most inspiring stroke of Disraeli's political career. From the second year onwards, securing the Suez Canal to ensure the unimpeded sea route from Britain to India became one of Britain's most important foreign affairs.
During his term as prime minister, he also waged the Second War in Afghanistan, forcing back the Russian offensive against the Ottomans and gaining control of the Balkans, which brought his prestige to the peak. But the defeat in the South African War led to his downfall. Two of his other events that went down in British history were the opening of the use of English internationally and the making of the "British Empire" the official title.
Disraeli is Queen Victoria's blue-faced confidante and knows the Queen's heart knot. For many years, the Queen was haunted by the absence of a supreme imperial title that represented Britain's successful expansion and vast territory. Her first love, Alexander II, was the Tsar of Russia; her daughter, Princess Victoria, would also have the title of Empress once her husband succeeded to the throne as Emperor of Prussia. But in Britain, she could not enjoy the title of Empress.
Disraeli then proposed to Parliament that the Queen be conferred the title of "Queen of India", and later official documents referred to britain as the "British Empire". This unprecedented proposal provoked a wave of opposition within Parliament. Disraeli quelled the controversy with his eloquent speech, refuting opponents one by one, and the queen became the "Empress of India." From then on, all of Queen Victoria's official signatures were "The British Empire and the Indian Empire, queen and queen".
In 1878, Disraeli visited Berlin and gave a speech in English at parliament, causing a commotion. At that time, the official language of Europe was French, and not many people could speak and listen to English. After Disraeli's speech, among European diplomats, more English was used. Therefore, Disraeli is considered the beginning of the internationalization of the English language. Although it was not until 1920, when the League of Nations was founded, that English was officially designated as the official language.
Queen Victoria's assessment of Disraeli was intelligent, poetic and chivalrous. After his first abdication from the Prime Minister's position, the Queen created a knighthood for him: Earl of Beaconsfield, but he refused to accept it. Later, the queen wanted to give him the title twice, the last time as a duke, and he refused either.
Disraeli was also a good novelist. Returning to Heunden Manor after leaving the Prime Minister, he, in addition to tinkering with his flowers and plants, picked up the unfinished novels he had before becoming Prime Minister. The sales of these novels are said to be good. As his life drew to a close, his friends and political enemies came to the manor. However, he firmly opposed the Queen's visit to him.
On 5 April 1881, when the Queen's last letter arrived, his eyes were no longer able to see. It was a postcard signed by the Queen that read: "Please don't leave." There are many things we can't do without you. Half a month later, he did not obey the queen's orders and died. Disraeli did not want many people to come to mourn and attend the funeral, but only wanted to be buried quietly by his wife's side.
Disraeli married the surviving man of his friend, who was 12 years his senior, and had gone before him and was buried in the courtyard of the church next to the manor. However, his last wishes were not followed, and people flocked to the manor. On 26 April, the Queen attended his funeral, wept sadly for a long time, and personally sent him to the cemetery, where she examined every detail of the cemetery. She spent 4 days in the manor and erected a monument to him.
The statue made by the government for him stands in front of Westminster Abbey. Buried with Disraeli, in addition to his wife, there was his red-faced confidant Sarah Williams. Sarah was a wealthy widow who had long corresponded with Disraeli to express her political and literary claims. After her death in 1865, she gave a large inheritance to Disraeli. With this money, he repaid the entire loan for the purchase of the manor.
Shortly after his death, stories came out about the ghosts of Disraeli wandering the manor. It is said that he refused to leave the manor because the queen had told him "please don't leave", so he either walked in the garden or stood at the top of the stairs. The staircase on the first floor is said to be his favorite place. There are many Tibetan paintings hanging there, one of which was given to him by Queen Victoria.
Other times, people say he's always standing behind you, and as soon as you turn around, you see him as a shadow. Sometimes the shadow will follow you for a while, and sometimes it will quickly disappear. The estate's cellars and basements hold another secret about World War II. This secret was not known until after the 60th anniversary of the victory in World War II.