Proud stories of inspirational women past and present were celebrated on Monday when a major exhibition was launched at Cliveden.

The famous mansion in Taplow is hosting the Cliveden Women exhibition featuring portraits of famous woman who lived there over 350 years.

They include Britain's first woman MP Nancy Astor, anti-slavery campaigner the Duchess of Sutherland from the 19th century and Princess Augusta, the courageous mother of George III in the 18th century.

But alongside the portraits of great ladies of the past the exhibition will also feature photographs of women of today nominated for the honour by friends or family.

They all have a connection to Cliveden. Perhaps they had ancestors who used to work there or just enjoy visiting.

Some of the ladies whose pictures make up the modern part of the exhibition were there at Monday's launch party.

The woman behind the exhibition is Cliveden's senior visitor experience officer Emily Randall. She said: "Cliveden is a property with a long history of powerful, boundary-breaking women. We want to recognise that and carry on their work by celebrating the amazing women of our community."

Among the modern women whose photographs are in the exhibition are Burnham lady Pam Worth - who has come through breast cancer and now raises money for breast cancer charities, Sarah Parfitt - who has raised £20,000 to support a community in Ethiopia, Rose Moriba Simbo - a specialist midwife from Sierra Leone who is founder of a project to educate women in her home country and community midwife for Maidenhead and Taplow Irene Lanting.

For details of the exhibition, opening times and admission prices, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden or call 01628 605069.