I am addicted to Downton Abbey, a British television period drama set in the
Edwardian era during the First World War in a fictitious estate in Yorkshire called Downton Abbey. In 2011, it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as “the
most critically acclaimed television show for the year”, the first British show to win the award. It is broadcasted around the world attracting huge audience. Although the fictitious estate is set in Yorkshire in the north of England, the film location is actually
at Highclere Castle near Newbury in southern England. Downton Abbey has truly put Highclere Castle on the map and visitors throng to this estate from Britain and around the world to see for themselves the setting of their favourite television series. It is open to the public on certain months of the year.
by Helen Oon T
he day I visit Highclere Ca s tl e
i s n o t a
particularly sunny day with swathes of grey cloud lingering sulkily
in the sky and intermittent gust of strong wind rustling up the branches of ancient oak trees in the estate. A vista of picturesque countryside stretches far into the horizon melting into a green carpet of rolling hills. Te private estate is accessed through a long driveway winding through lovely meadows and parkland with sheep grazing on the field. At the end of the driveway, Highclere Castle looms into view, a splendid edifice with castellated spires dominated by a central prominent tower. It is a more refined building than one would normally associate with fortress castles, for this is the stately home of generations of the Earls of Carnarvon since the late 17th century. Today, the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon are the present Lord and Lady of the manor.
THE REAL
DOWNTON ABBEY I am ushered into a cosy private sitting room in a corner of the castle via the tradesman’s entrance to await Lady
60 FENGSHUIWORLD | MARCH / APRIL 2012
Carnarvon. The chatelaine of the castle herself arrives twenty minutes later apologising for keeping me waiting. Far from being a hoity-toity grand dame like the aristocratic ladies portrayed in Downton Abbey, the real life Countess is friendly, warm and down to earth. Lady Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon, was a chartered accountant before she married the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. She takes her role seriously as the custodian of her ancestral home, managing the 1000-acre estate and farm land with her husband. As a shrewd business lady, she has opened up Highclere Castle to the public and markets it as an exclusive venue for weddings and corporate functions and the film location for Downton Abbey. After all, these ancient stately piles are expensive to run and maintain. It is also a way of sharing an English heritage with the public. Lady Carnarvon is passionate about preserving the history and heritage of the family. She has written a few books on Highclere Castle and her latest book entitled “Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey” is about the 5th Countess of Carnarvon,
the wife of Lord Carnarvon of the Tutankhamun fame. Lady Almina’s life seemed to mirror the storyline of Downton Abbey. Is art imitating life? Like Lady Grantham in the television series, Lady Almina turned Highclere into a military hospital for wounded soldiers during the First World War and personally saw that they received the best medical care. And like the fictitious Lady Grantham, she was also a wealthy American heiress, the illegitimate daughter of the banking tycoon Alfred de Rothschild who bequeathed her a vast fortune. At the age of nineteen, Lady Almina married the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and became a prominent figure in high society in England with her wit, grace and stylish clothes.
I f e e l
like an extra in Downton Abbey when I walk through Highclere Castle with Lady Carnar von as she points out outstanding features and
beautiful
priceless paintings of the Carnarvon collection by famous