Go to any motorsport event and you’ll notice that all eyes are on the track, focused on the racing machines and the fearless souls who drive them. Well, almost any motorsport event. If you attend any of the three annual celebrations of speed and style at the historic Goodwood Estate in the south of England, you’ll observe that the audience draws as much attention as the cars. And that’s exactly as the host, the Duke of Richmond​​ - though he introduces himself as Charles - intends it.

“Car events were very focused up to that point on the competitors,” he says. “They were never done as entertainment, with the spectator in mind. That was a whole new thing - saying we could do something here that will be spectacularly fun and entertaining, getting people really close to the action, close to the cars, meeting the drivers, all of that. We were lucky with it, and it’s been one of those things that really caught people’s imagination.”

This fun-focused approach explains why the idyllic estate just celebrated its 30th hosting of the Goodwood Festival of Speed (a racing event) and the 25th Goodwood Revival festival (devoted to vintage and antique cars), alongside its continued hosting of events such as the annual Members’ Meeting (which, despite its name, is open to the public in limited numbers). This past year also brought Goodwoof, a canine-centric event with a dog show, a doghouse competition, and even wellness workshops for your good boy or girl. As the duke notes, a 19th-century kennel on the property was once considered “the most glamorous doghouse in the world,” so this playful event connects to a rich history.

That history often intertwines with the idea of speed. Prior to the 19th century, the grounds hosted horse races between the Duke of Richmond and the king. In 1802, the horse track opened to the public, who eagerly gambled at the events. The motor track followed in 1948, opened by the current duke’s late grandfather. If the current duke has “oil in his veins” that’s thanks to his lineage - that same grandfather raced his Jensen in London the day a speed limit was introduced, resulting in an arrest and a photo of him making a Churchill-style “V” for victory as he left his booking.

To that end, the property also includes a 3,500-acre organic farm and a boutique hotel devoted to wellness. This mindset also informs the duke’s future plans for Goodwood: an art foundation, devoted to contemporary art, set to open in the spring of 2025. It’s set on a 70-acre garden by landscape architect Dan Pearson, and curated by Ann Gallagher, former director of collections (British art) at the Tate London, and it will focus on environment and education.

The duke doesn’t just support the arts, however - he’s also an accomplished photographer who has shown his vibrant, abstract work in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Rome under the name Charles March. He discovered this pursuit early, and it led to an unlikely gig; as a teenager, he shot location photography for Stanley Kubrick as he prepared to film Barry Lyndon. The great director, who was first a photographer himself, provided pointers - “he gave me some very basic helpful hints,” the duke says - but the most important lesson was about passion.

“Stanley was so focused,” he says. “That’s what he did 24 hours a day - total commitment and focus. There’s no compromise - there’s only one way to do it, and that’s the best way. That had a huge impact on me at 17 to be around people who didn’t compromise on anything.” The two kept in touch over the years, and despite the duke’s modesty - about the events he hosts, he jokes that “I love and hate them all” - it’s clear that Kubrick’s approach influences his devotion to the Goodwood Estate.

As for the future of that estate, it’s in good hands - the duke, who is 68 years old, has five children who are as passionate about it as he is. He notes that his two eldest sons - Charles, 28, and William, 26 - share a passion for speed, but one cares more for racing horses, while the other is keen on motor racing.

“We’re very, very keen to make everything we do relevant to a modern world,” he says. “We’re so lucky to have all this heritage and all this authenticity, but it’s a bit meaningless unless it looks forward and can actually engage people and excite a changing audience.”

Looking after things isn’t just a saying at Goodwood - it’s clearly a way of life.