The Duke’s Children

The mausoleum was extended by Henry Grey, first duke of Kent, in accordance with the wishes of his grandmother, Amabel, countess of Kent.

 The tomb of Anthony Grey, Earl of Harrold (1695-1723).© English Heritage Photo Library Between 1705 and 1710, the mausoleum was expanded from a small family chapel into a cruciform shaped room filled with space and light. This work was carried out by one of Henry’s descendants, another Henry Grey (d.1740), first duke of Kent, a courtier and politician at the court of Queen Anne. He planned it as a celebration of the growing status of his family and its glorious future. He talked of a 'dormitory' in which the family could be privately buried.

However, many of the Duke’s children died before he did. His eldest son Anthony, Earl of Harrold died as a young man in 1723 and is depicted on his monument as alive, reclining in Roman armour upon on a large black sarcophagus. This classical style of funerary monument is also reflected in the adjacent tombs of his brother and sister. At this time, English culture was heavily influenced by ancient Roman literature and architecture, and it was common to depict contemporary people in Roman dress.