English aristocrat and architect Richard Boyle, the 3rd Earl of Burlington, was BOTD in 1694. Born in Yorkshire to a wealthy Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, he was the only son of the 2nd Earl of Burlington. He inherited his father’s title when he was nine, and his estates were managed by his mother until he was 21. After undertaking three Grand Tours of Europe, he became interested in architecture, particularly the neo-Classical designs of Andrea Palladio. In 1719, he commissioned the construction of Burlington House in central London, rejecting the current trends for Baroque architecture in favour of a Palladian design. The building became a sensation, leading a major shift in British architectural fashion towards Palladian design, and Burlington was hailed as “the Apollo of the Arts”. His other projects included the construction of Westminster School, Tottenham House and Chiswick House in London, Northwick Park in Gloucestershire and the York Assembly Rooms. A keen patron of the arts, he was the patron and friend of composer Georg Frideric Handel, whom he offered a home at Burlington House, and the writer Alexander Pope. Burlington married Lady Dorothy Savile in 1720, with whom he had three daughters. Rumours circulated within his lifetime that he was bisexual and used Burlington House to host parties for gay men, which have been debated by historians and biographers. He died in 1753, aged 59.