I live in the iconic Downton Abbey mansion – but my life’s not glam at all and we struggle to pay the bills
ANYONE who owns a television will instantly recognise Highclere castle.
The 300 room mansion is of course better known by its fictional name Downton Abbey where it played the home of the wealthy artistic family the Crawleys.
In reality Highclere is home to Lady and Earl Carnarvon, but Lady Fiona says that life at ‘Downton’ is a far cry from that of Elizabeth Crawley’s.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Lady C says, “Unlike the Crawley’s, George (Earl of Carnarvon) and I are very much part of the working team.
“Yes I will start my mornings with a stroll around the grounds with my dogs or a spot of yoga but by 9am I am in meetings like anyone else.
“Anyone who follows us on Instagram will see both my husband and I mucking in with the upkeep of the house which is a lot.
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“We’re all working here and it is really really hard work - the reality is far from life on the set of Downton.”
Previously a chartered accountant, Lady C met her husband in 1996, two years after his first marriage to Jane, the mother of his eldest children, broke down.
Just five years into their relationship, the then Earl of Carnarvon died of a heart attack at the age of 77, seeing Fiona and George inheriting the palatial family property.
But becoming Lady Carnarvon was the last thing on her mind.
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“I never paid the home much attention which might seem odd,” Lady C admits.
“But I had just started going out with a lovely man and was lucky enough to be asked to stay at this amazing home but thought no more about it.
“George’s father died too young and it felt incredibly sudden so when Highclere became ours my focus was on supporting my husband through his grief.
“After about a year or so we got to the stage where we were opening all of these brown envelopes and began thinking about how we were going to get Highclere to survive.
“The most important thing was working out how we were going to get people to come to Highclere.”
The answer came when Lady C’s dear friend Julian Fellowes wrote the drama Downton Abbey, picturing Highclere Castle as its setting right from the get go.
All six series and two follow up films of the drama have been filmed at Highclere, much to Lady Carnarvon’s amusement.
“I never expected the show to be anywhere near as popular as it is,” she admits.
“I often wondered why on earth people watched it but I do think the house is part of the appeal.”
There is no other way around it and no use fighting it you’ve got to find some way to pay the blooming electric
Lady Carnarvon
While the Downton movie alone grossed £150 million alone, Fiona and George don’t benefit from the profits.
“Financially we don’t benefit from the royalties or success,” she says.
“But it has given us this global marketing platform which is a huge boost.”
And she isn’t wrong.
After Downton Abbey aired in 2010 globally, the castle’s visitors doubled to 1,200 per day and influx of visitors continue to visit Highclere each and every year, something Lady C is totally used to.
“Most people would find it rather strange to have strangers visiting their home but there is no other way around it and no use fighting it you’ve got to find some way to pay the blooming electric,” she says.
“I find it rather lovely welcoming people into my home.
“Being open to the public is always a challenge because no one's ever completely happy. I think most people are incredibly happy and that makes me feel incredibly lucky.”
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Lady Carnarvon’s latest book The Earl and the Pharaoh is available to buy from all good booksellers now.
HIGHCLERE’S HISTORY
The house was constructed in 1679 and has been the home of the Earls of Carnarvon and their forebears.
Currently the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, and his family, live in part of the home.
The rest of the property is hired out to the public for events and function.
George is the godson of Queen Elizabeth II, and was educated at Eton and St John’s College, Oxford.
He has two children, Lady Saoirse Herbert and George Kenneth Oliver Molyneux Herbert, with his first wife Jayne M. Wilby.
He also has another son, Edward Herbert, with his second wife Fiona Aitken.
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