KEY POINTS:
Leeds Castle is stunning - it has been described as the most beautiful castle in the world - and you get the feeling the castle knows it.
Rather like a truly gorgeous film star, it seems confident in its beauty, relaxed about being admired and with a gift for being able to strike exactly the right pose for the paparazzi without seeming to think about it.
As we drove over the brow of the surrounding hills for our first glimpse the castle seemed not to notice, continuing to lie serenely in its tranquil rural setting, the stone walls and turrets rising out of the middle of a lake like something out of a fairy tale.
But as I produced my camera, a flock of white swans strolled casually into the foreground, a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds, and suddenly I had exactly the picture I had been hoping for.
Such poise is not really surprising when you consider its history.
Originally the site of the manor of Esledes, owned by the Saxon King Ethelbert IV, it was transformed into a castle by one of the Norman conquerors and - like many treasured possessions - soon passed into the hands of royalty.
It has been the home of six Queens of England - Eleanor of Castile, Margaret of France, Isabella of France, Joan of Navarre, Anne of Bohemia and Catherine de Valois - who transformed it from a defensive fortification into a luxurious refuge.
So many kings and nobles, politicians and bishops, showbiz stars and tycoons, have passed across its entrance bridge and through the heavily fortified gateway down the centuries that it is hard to imagine anyone impressing it today.
But I reckon the castle may just have raised an eyebrow when in 1978 Cyrus Vance, Moshe Dyan and Mohammed Ibrahim Karmel, representing the United States, Israel and Egypt, arrived for the talks which culminated in the signing of the Camp David Agreement.
And, while President Jimmy Carter got most of the credit for the agreement, I'd suspect the serene setting and sumptuous rooms of the castle would have played a part in making the participants feel relaxed and well-disposed.
Since then Leeds Castle has hosted many more secret conferences - in fact preparations were being made for an important meeting when we were there - but if they'd told us any more they might have had to kill us.
The credit for this modern success goes less to royal refurbishers like Edward I and Henry VIII than to Lady Olive Baillie, an Anglo-American heiress, who bought the castle in 1926, devoted much of her life and fortune into enhancing its beauty and on her death in 1974 bequeathed the property to an independent foundation set up to preserve the castle and setting in perpetuity.
It was a bitter winter day when we paid our visit and the surrounding meadows were glittering with frost so we gave the maze, grotto, aviary, vineyard, nature trail and magnificent - to judge from the photos - gardens a miss and focussed on the castle itself. But there was more than enough within its towering stone walls to fill in several hours and still wish there was time for more.
Not only does it look exactly as you'd imagine a royal castle should _ a broad moat surrounding high stone walls topped with battlements and towers _ it is also furnished in a way you'd imagine a powerful monarch would want to live.
The walls are lined with glowering portraits of the mighty, fearsome ancient weapons and suits of armour, sumptuous drapes, rare tapestries and spectacular wallpapers.
The magnificent furnishings include a William IV mahogany dining table with Louis XIV chairs, superb Chinese porcelain and an entire room, complete with Italian marble chimney-piece, moved here in 1927 from Thorpe Hall near Peterborough.
Needless to say there's a library filled with rare books, a Queen's Gallery displaying superb paintings, a private chapel recently reconsecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a 22m long banquet hall - created by Henry VIII - with a carved ceiling and ebony floor. There's even a boudoir - lovely word - entirely decorated with paintings of birds.
And, just to show that royals can have fun, there's also a Norman wine cellar still stocked with barrels and bottles, a fine restaurant where you can sip a delicate cup of Earl Grey tea while watching the swans glide past on the lake, ... and a charmingly eccentric collection of dog collars.
When I become king this is the style to which I'd like to become accustomed.
GETTING THERE
Emirates flies from Auckland three times a day to Dubai, and from Dubai to several British airports including Gatwick. Basic round trip fares start at $2460 plus taxes but there are frequent specials. See www.emirates.com or call 0508 364 728.
FURTHER INFORMATION
General information on visiting Britain is at www.visitbritain.com and Leeds Castle can be found on the web at www.leeds-castle.com
Jim Eagles visited Leeds Castle as a guest of Visit Britain and Emirates.
