Four generations of the Rothschild family have put their mark on Waddesdon and it is a coherent expression of their passions. Neither a museum nor an academic institution, it shares characteristics with both, including a strong commitment to research and disseminating knowledge and an international outlook.

The core of all Waddesdon's academic activities is the house, its contents and the setting. This unique expression of Rothschild taste and patronage, bequeathed to the National Trust by James de Rothschild in 1957, is open to the public. His widow Dorothy, Mrs James was the first chair of the Management Committee, maintaining the exceptional standards of collection care for which Waddesdon is famous and initiating research and the series of catalogues. It continues to flourish under a family charitable trust, chaired by Lord Rothschild OM.