Editing Leeds Castle (section)

===20th century===
[[File:Staircase in Leeds Castle, 2019.jpg|thumb|French designer [[Armand-Albert Rateau]] added a spiral staircase in the style of the 16th century to the south side of the Fountain Court.]]
The Wykeham Martins were forced to sell the castle and estate in 1924, in order to meet death duties.{{sfn|McCann|2002|p=77}} The last private owner was the Hon. [[Olive, Lady Baillie]], daughter of [[Almeric Paget, 1st Baron Queenborough]] and his first wife, [[Pauline Payne Whitney]], an American heiress. Lady Baillie bought the castle in 1926 for £180,000 ({{Inflation|UK|180000|1926|2019|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}). She redecorated the interior, first working with the French architect and designer [[Armand-Albert Rateau]], who oversaw exterior alterations and added interior features such as a 16th-century-style carved-oak staircase, then with the Paris decorator [[Stéphane Boudin]]. In total she spent $2 million on the project over the years.<ref name="HistoricEnglandGatewayListing">{{cite web |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=418125&resourceID=19191 |title=Leeds Castle |work=Historic England |access-date=7 September 2022 |quote= |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208002629/https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=418125&resourceID=19191 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/02/archives/leeds-castle-one-of-britains-oldest-reopened-to-public.html |title=Leeds Castle, One Of Britain's Oldest, Reopened to Public |date=2 July 1976 |work=NY Times |access-date=7 September 2022 |quote= |archive-date=7 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907191458/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/02/archives/leeds-castle-one-of-britains-oldest-reopened-to-public.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the early part of [[World War II]] the castle was used as a hospital where Lady Baillie and her daughters hosted burned Commonwealth airmen as part of their recovery. Survivors remembered the experience with fondness. Upon her death in 1974, Lady Baillie left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation, a private charitable trust whose aim is to preserve the castle and grounds for the benefit of the public.<ref>{{EW charity|268354|LEEDS CASTLE FOUNDATION}}</ref>

An estimated £1.4 million (equivalent to £{{Inflation|UK|1.4|1974|2019|r=2}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) was invested and a further £400,000 (£{{Inflation|UK|.4|1974|2019|r=2}} million in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) was retrieved from the sale of the furniture to make improvements to the Castle and attract paying corporate conferences. However, it was quickly understood that it could not support the ongoing costs of running the Estate, so in 1975 the gardens were opened to the public, and the following year the Castle was also made available to visitors.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.leeds-castle.com/History/The+Leeds+Castle+Foundation |title=THE LEEDS CASTLE FOUNDATION |website=Leeds Castle Kent England |access-date=30 April 2019 |archive-date=30 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430105818/https://www.leeds-castle.com/History/The%2BLeeds%2BCastle%2BFoundation |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 17 July 1978, the castle was the site of a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister [[Muhammad Ibrahim Kamel]], Israeli Foreign Minister [[Moshe Dayan]] and US Secretary of State [[Cyrus Vance]] in preparation for the [[Camp David Accords]].<ref name="Guidebook"/> The castle also hosted the [[Northern Ireland]] peace talks held in September 2004 led by [[Tony Blair]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chrisafis |first=Angelique |date=18 August 2004 |title=Can castle summit secure Ulster peace? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/aug/19/uk.northernireland |access-date=16 January 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In October 2021, Leeds Castle Foundation was one of 142 recipients across England to receive part of a £35 million grant from the government's [[Culture Recovery Fund]].<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/heritage-and-craft-workers-across-england-given-a-helping-hand/ "Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023092706/https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/heritage-and-craft-workers-across-england-given-a-helping-hand/ |date=23 October 2021 }} – [[Historic England]], 22 October 2021</ref>

In 1952, the castle was named a Grade&nbsp;I [[listed building]] and recognised as an internationally important structure.<ref name="HistoricEnglandListing">{{NHLE |num=1039919 |desc=Leeds Castle |access-date=14 March 2012|mode=cs2}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Faqs/default.aspx?topic=4#25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111223206/http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Faqs/default.aspx?topic=4#25 |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 November 2007 |title=Frequently asked questions |work=[[Images of England]] |publisher=[[English Heritage]] |access-date=14 March 2012}}</ref> The listing summary states: "Castle. Early-to-mid C12, with C13, C14, C15 and C16 alterations. Partly rebuilt 1822".<ref name="HistoricEnglandListing" /> The research records at Historic England state that the castle was also "extensively rebuilt in ... 1926".<ref name="HistoricEnglandGatewayListing" />
{{wide image|Leeds_Castle,_Kent,_England_1_-_May_09.jpg|699px|A wide panoramic view of Leeds Castle from across the moat on the north west side}}
{{wide image|Leeds Castle, Kent, England 3 - May 09.jpg|699px|Leeds Castle and its [[moat]] from the rear}}