The 3rd Duke of Richmond was England's greatest patron of Sèvres porcelain. Most other English collectors of Sèvres acquired their porcelain some years after it had been made, at the time of the French Revolution or in the 19th century. The Goodwood porcelain dinner service is unique in England because it was actually ordered at the factory in 1765.

When he was living in Paris as British Ambassador, the 3rd Duke travelled, with his Duchess, to Sèvres, south west of Paris. Here they ordered a dinner service. Most of the large collection of Sèvres in the Goodwood porcelain collection, which is marked 1765 and 1766, comprises this blue and green dessert service. This was extremely rare, as clients would normally order one colour only. Even more personalised are the exotic and colourful birds on the china, which were copied at the time from albums of original prints from the Goodwood library. Versions of the prints also hang in the Card Room, and are of interest to bird-lovers.