While millions of fans are glued to their television sets watching the Fourth Season of Downton Abbey, few are aware that the real life story of the family behind Highclere Castle, where the show is shot on location, is just as fascinating.
Pursuitist had the recent opportunity to meet Fiona Carnarvon, the Eighth Countess of Carnarvon and her husband, Geordie, the Eight Earl of Carnarvon, at Christie’s in New York, where the Countess’ latest book, “Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey” was celebrated at a small gathering hosted by their friend, Steven P. Murphy, the chief executive of Christie’s International Plc.
The Countess and Earl of Carnarvon acceded to Highclere ten years ago, upon the death of Geordie’s father. The recently published book is the culimination of exhaustive research the Countess of Carnarvon, a professional historian, undertook of Highclere’s archives which contained countless letters, diaries and photographs.
Published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House, the Countess’s book details the history of Catherine Wendell, the beautiful American who married Porchester (“Porchey”) the man who would become the Sixth Earl of Carnarvon. “Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey” (Broadway Paperback Original: October 2013) describes how following the First World War, Lady Catherine, plunged into the upper echelons of British society by running the manor home, attending to the needs of the staff and hosting friends and royals as she raised a young son and daughter. Like many of the other great houses of England that faded as their owners’ fortunes declined in the new political and social world of the 1920s and 1930s, so was Highclere’s own survival as the family home of the Carnarvons at risk. The book closely mirrors the current season of Downton Abbey which takes place in 1922, which is the same year that Catherine and Porchey married.
The Countess of Carnarvon came up with the idea of writing a book about Catherine, after seeing her portrait hanging in the castle. “I looked at a painting on a wall in the Morning Room,” says the Countess. “Catherine was Georgie’s grandmother and was a really beautiful American girl who at nineteen married the Sixth Earl of Carnarvon.”
“Catherine is a great story and there is lots of great history in the book,” adds Carnarvon. “When I started my research, it turned out that she was descended from the Lee families. Her direct ancestor, Josias Fendall, was governor of Maryland in 1656. I found that part of her maternal family also descended from Robert E. Lee.”
During her research of the castle’s archives, the Countess came across many fascinating documents. “I found little notes in the archive, one of which was signed by Robert E. Lee, and I found another signed by George Washington,” she recalls. “There was also an invitation from John Adams. These were names I did not know so much about, but afterward I did a crash course on American History.”
The Countess traveled to the United States while doing additional research for her book. “I followed those links back to Williamsburg and I had a wonderful couple of weeks traveling around in America sharing those stories,” she says. “It has been wonderful.”
One of the most famous houses in England, Highclere Castle has a long, and fascinating history. “Highclere has 1300 years of history and 200 or 300 rooms,” says the Countess who isn’t sure of the exact number of rooms. “We farm it and it is a park. It is a big enterprise there.”
Steven P. Murphy, chief executive of Christie’s International Plc., a friend of the Carnarvon family, admires the Countess and Earl for all that they have done to preserve the castle.
“If a house is preserved, honored, cared for and nutured—like a great work of art—it will endure,” says Murphy. “And Highclere endures, thanks so much to the work and love of Earl Carnarvon and Countess Carnarvon in that regard.”
According to Murphy, Christie’s has a long-term relationship with Highclere. “In 1925 an auction was held of many amazing works of great art owned by the Carnarvons and held by Christie’s, including a Da Vinci and a Botticelli,” says Murphy. “All of this is recounted in Lady Canarvon’s book.”
In her previous biography, “Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey“, the Countess tells the story of the Fifth Countess of Carnarvon including her life before, during and after the Great War, from Almina’s marriage to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon in 1895, through the Edwardian period to the years before the War. The books describes how at 19 when Almina married the 5th Earl, she was actually the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild. Almina arrived with an enormous dowry and the book describes many fascinating stories on life, both upstairs and downstairs, at the Castle during Edwardian times. Almina attended the funeral of Queen Victoria, the coronation of Edward VII and all the other grand and royal events and is credited with turning the castle into a hospital in 1914 during the First World War.
“She really did spend her money in a truly generous and Christian way,” says the Countess. “There were many hilarious stories and many sad stories.”
The Castle returned to a private home and in 1922 the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, which became the first global world media event.
Like Almina before them, the current Earl and Countess of Carnarvon have turned Highclere into a philanthropic enterprise. At Highclere each year, there are many events, including those that celebrate veterans and those who have fallen in the two great wars. The House and grounds are generally open to the public during the Easter and Summer holidays as well as the Bank holidays and at some other times of year for special events.
Writing the books “has been a way of bringing history and heritage alive and Downton has given me that chance,” says the Countess. “My husband and I owe a great debt to everybody in America who have fallen in love with Downton Abbey and through that, Highclere Castle.”
“We have been very lucky,” says the Countess. “Geordie and I are both enormously proud of Highclere, which stands behind Downton, which has apparently been sold to 200 countries in the world and is the most successful TV series ever.”
In 2014, Highclere is now at the center of a world global media event,” she adds. “Likewise, ninety years ago, Georgie’s ancestor, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon discovered the tomb of Tutankoman, which was the first world global media event.”
“This has been a roller coaster ride,” she says.
Photo by Carrie Coolidge; Book Cover courtesy of Broadway Books, an Imprint of The Crown Publishing Group, Random House
