We’re taking you back to 1930s London for this one, although remanence of this quirky story still remain to this day. Virginia Peirano and Stephen Courtauld were a prestigious couple that married in 1923 in Fiume (now known as Rijeka in Croatia), before moving back to London and purchasing Greenwich’s grand Eltham Palace a decade later in 1933.
On their return to England, they also purchased an adorable ring-tailed lemur from Harrods (yes, we can’t believe that was a thing back then either), calling him Mah Jongg, although he soon became affectionately known as ‘Jongy’.
He was one of the world’s fanciest monkeys pretty instantaneously, thanks to his lavish life at Eltham Palace. The Courtaulds came from a privileged background and the ownership of exotic and unusual pets was all the rage among the higher classes back in the day.
Virginia Peirano was an impulsive and untraditional creative, with the prestigious title of marchioness – be it from her previous husband. Stephen on the other hand was famed for his Courtauld textile empire, making millions in the process, as well as being the recipient of the Military Cross in 1918 for fighting with the Artists’ Rifles.
They were truly the talk of the town during interwar London, an overtly glamorised time for the wealthy and society at large across the West. They were noted patrons of the arts, boasting an exquisite collection, and they even ended up getting their portrait done with little Jongy.
As well as living in a palace, Mah Jongg was even taken on the couple’s holidays as they also had a keen interest in sailing. On their ambitious trip from Cape Town to Egypt, Jongy became custom to the lush life, continuously lounging in a specially designed deckchair just for him on their very-own yaught. However, the trip didn’t come without its fair share of drama, with the lemur ending up biting one of the staff on board, who didn’t end up fully recovering for over three months.
This never stopped the Courtauld’s continuous adoration for Mah Jongg though, with both architectural and design elements at Eltham Palace dedicated to him. From incredible carvings into new wooden bosses to a stunning mural featuring Jongy, his unusual and quirky legacy still lives on to this day. You can even visit his purpose-built heated pet home that they built just for him.
As well as this notorious resident, Eltham Palace is known for its gorgeous Art Deco design, as well as the 19 acres of award-winning gardens to explore. For more information on this must-visit mansion in Greenwich, click here to visit their website.