It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II.

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of Shaftesbury, was educated at Winchester and served as Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset.

[citation needed] Other prominent members of the family include Liberal politician Evelyn Ashley, second son of the 7th Earl; his son, noted politician Wilfrid Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple, was a member of the Conservative Party, and his daughter Edwina married Louis Mountbatten and was to be last Vicereine of India.

When her grandfather died in 1921, Edwina inherited his vast fortune, which included £2 million, the 5,000-acre (20 km2) country seat of Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire; Brook House in London; Moulton Paddocks estate in Newmarket, Suffolk; Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Ireland; and a seaside house at Branksome Dene in Bournemouth.

The monarch's immediate family attended; the then-Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) was the best man.

It was at Broadlands that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, spent their honeymoon night in 1947.

In turn, Prince Charles and his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, spent their honeymoon night there in 1981.

Construction on St Giles House began in 1651, by Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, later to become 1st Earl of Shaftesbury.

This large house and surrounding grounds include 400 acres (1.6 km2), along with a seven-acre lake and a 1,000 yards (900 m) avenue of trees.

The accomplished design, together with the high level of craftsmanship, clearly indicate a metropolitan origin for the majority of these pieces, but unfortunately the surviving Shaftesbury Account Books contain few references to London cabinet-makers other than William Hallett, his name appearing a number of times between 1745 and 1757 with references to 'carved chairs,' 'the Blew Bed,' and 'Mahogany Cisterns.'

Charleston was founded on the western bank of the Ashley in 1670 (at Charles Towne Landing), before moving across to its current peninsular location ten years later.

[4] The heir apparent and the only person in line of succession to the titles is the present holder's only son, Anthony Francis Wolfgang Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley (born 2011).