Secrets of a Radical Duke Talk by Professor Danielle Allen

Organised by : Goodwood House

Goodwood House is thrilled to welcome the celebrated classicist and political scientist, Professor Danielle Allen, on Thursday 20 August 2026 at 6.30pm. Danielle will be discussing her new historical biography, The Radical Duke: a thrilling journey, as she seeks to figure out how a large, ceremonial parchment Declaration of Independence ended up in West Sussex.

When Danielle discovered the Declaration of Independence buried in the Chichester archives, little did she know she had stumbled onto a larger story that fundamentally changes our understanding of eighteenth-century British and American history. The discovery led her to investigate the 3rd Duke of Richmond, and in doing so, establish that The Duke, together with the radical pamphleteer Thomas Paine, secretly fomented a political revolution: they supported American Independence, led the first proposals for universal manhood suffrage, and argued for freedom of the press and religious toleration.

The evening is a chance to hear Danielle's latest cutting-edge research, view portraits of the 3rd Duke of Richmond by artists including Joshua Reynolds and see items belonging to him, including The Juryman's Touchstone of 1771, discovered by Danielle to be cowritten by Paine, with Paines handwritten dedication to The Duke.

Tickets are £45 per person and include:

- A welcome drink and canapes set against the splendour of the State Apartments of Goodwood House

- An evening with Danielle Allen, plus a Q&A session

- The opportunity to view portraits of and items belonging to the 3rd Duke of Richmond, including The Juryman's Touchstone of 1771, with Thomas Paines handwritten dedication