Decor – Downton Abbey-inspired entertaining

Posted on January 19, 2016 by barbara

When watching the Downton Abbey television series, viewers will immediately notice the grand and elegant entertaining style of Lord and Lady Grantham. There are simple breakfasts served most mornings from the sideboard or lavish multi-course dinners served very formally in the dining room or tea served in the drawing room, these scenes are all filmed for the television series on location at the real-life Highclere Castle (please see the photo below of the Highclere dining room) In this post I will discuss the entertaining styles shown throughout the series beginning in the first season during the late 1910s in the post-Edwardian era dictated by strict rules and traditions to the final season during the mid-1920s when social changes were happening at a rapid pace after World War I as England was moving into more modern times.

Back in England during the post-Edwardian period of the mid-1910s, a woman such as Lady Grantham would spend quite a bit of time planning a dinner party. Special care was taken in choosing the food and drink for the menu, selecting china, silver and crystal for the table service, flowers for the centerpiece and the seating arrangements for the guests. Entertainment was an important part of the aristocratic social life and it was also a way for gentlemen to conduct business away from the office. (The photo below shows the beautiful Downton dining table set for a formal dinner in season 3 episode 2)

For special dinners it was customary for invitations to be addressed and sent to the guests four to six weeks in advance. In general, the dinner time would start at eight o’clock in the evening and guests were expected to arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the time indicted on the invitation for pre-dinner drinks. In contrast to the lengthy formal dinners lasting several hours during the Victorian and Edwardian times, by the 1910s there would a considerably shorter eight course meal lasting under an hour. Upon arrival, the guests would remove their coats and then proceed into the drawing room for pre-dinner drinks. (as shown in the photos below) Once all the guests had arrived they would go into the dining room and seat in very specific places depending on their rank and status. In general, the head of the house sits at the head of the table but in Downton Abbey Lord and Lady Grantham sit on opposite sides in the middle of the table. In either case, the guest of honor or most important man or women sits next to the host and hostess. (the photo below shows a typical Downton Abbey dinner with the guests seated at the table)

Each place setting would be carefully laid out defined by strict etiquette rules with the correct plates, utensils and stemware for the meal being served. (as shown in the photo below) On a more formal occasion, each guest would have a place card with their name and sometimes several menu cards with the each course written in French would also be placed on the table. Lighting for an evening meal would be keep low with candlelight and there would be floral centerpieces or perhaps fruit in silver or crystal bowls that could be eaten later during the dessert course. The meal would be served by butlers working their way around the table starting with the host or hostess, serving on the left side of the person and taking away used plates from the right side always in a manner that is quiet and without disturbing the guests or interrupting conversations. During each course the butlers will stand a short distance behind the table and keeping watch in case a guest should need attention. (the photo below shows Carson waiting to serve the guests in between courses)

At the conclusion of the dinner, the ladies would “go through” to the drawing room for coffee while the men would remain in the dining room for port, sherry or claret and cigars or cigarettes. Later the gentlemen would join the ladies and occasionally there would be entertainment in the evening and it could be laying cards, charades or other games. In the case of Downton Abbey it would be an invited Opera singer or perhaps a visiting Jazz band or music from the gramaphone. (the photos below show the various forms of after-dinner entertainment as depicted in Downton Abbey)

Downton Abbey - after dinner entertainment - opera singer

Here is a list of items needed to set a proper Downton Abbey-inspired table:

Table pad or other cloth, goes underneath the formal tablecloth to keep it in place
White tablecloth, length should hang with the end between the floor and the table edge
White napkins, approximately twenty-four to twenty-six inches square. For a very formal table the napkins should be folded into the Bishop’s Miter style
Place the plates, utensils and stemware in a formal place setting, if you are a real stickler for details you can use a tape measure for precise placement (look for an example in the photo below)

Candlelight would set an enchanting mood; use long white candles that are slightly longer than the candlesticks
Floral arrangements add beauty to a formal table but be aware that placement does not block the view of the guests. Fruit in silver or crystal bowls and fern or other greenery placed on the table are another alternative.

Downton Abbey Fashions – Part Two

Posted on January 14, 2016 by barbara

As previously mentioned in Part One of the Fashions of Downton Abbey two part series, the clothing worn by the characters of the television series tell the story and set the mood as much as Highcere Castle and the stage sets at Ealing Studios. In Part One, I discussed the fashions of the six seasons of Downton Abbey including day and evening dresses as well as the accessories of the aristocratic Crawley family. In Part Two, I will discuss the wedding dresses worn by the Crawley sisters at both their first and second weddings as highlighted in seasons three and six. I will also discuss the wedding outfits of several of the servants of Downtown Abbey.

As season one and two unfolds Lady Sybil, the youngest Crawley daughter, and Tom Branson share a growing attraction to one another and the couple plans to secretly run away to Gretna Green to elope but they are found by Lady Mary and Lady Edith before the marriage takes place (season two episode 7). Lord Grantham threatens to disinherit Lady Sybil, but eventually he gives his blessing and the couple is married and move to Ireland as season two comes to an end. Unfortunately for viewers, the wedding takes place off camera and denied seeing Lady Sybil in her wedding dress. (Shown below are Lady Sybil and Tom Branson)

In season two episode 5, William had returned from World War I severely injured and he is brought back to Downton. William asks Daisy to marry him before he dies, this will provide her with hid pension. Daisy is torn, because she is not truly in love with William but Mr. Mason, William’s father, and Mrs. Patmore, the cook, convince her to do this for William. The wedding takes place in one of the upstairs bedrooms by the local vicar and the bed is decorated with floral swags and Daisy is wearing her best dress for the ceremony with her hair arranged in a pretty style. Sadly, William dies a few hours later. (Shown below is a two photos of the wedding ceremony, the one on the left shows a close-up photo of Daisy’s hairstyle)

There is another wedding that involves two of the Downton servants, Mr. Bates and Anna, which takes place during season two in episode 7 Mr. Bates is the personal valet to the Earl of Grantham and Anna is Lady Mary’s maid, the couple falls in love and after several troublesome obstacles they finally get married and the viewers are allowed a quick glimpse of the wedding ceremony but there is no wedding reception. As Anna herself says, “I’d rather have the right man than the right wedding”. As was customary for her station in society, for the ceremony at the registry office Anna wears her best outfit which is a starched white blouse, blue skirt, black hat and she carries a bouquet of wildflowers. (Shown below are two photos of Mr. Bates and Anna on their wedding day)

Then, during season three of the Downton Abbey television show there was the weddings of the two remaining Crawley sisters. The first was the much anticipated wedding of Lady Mary to Matthew Crawley as shown in episode one to start the season. The wedding ceremony took place at St. Michael and All Angels Church, the local church in the Downton. Lady Mary’s wedding gown was in fitting with the time period, the third season is set between the years 1920 to 1921, and was custom made under the direction of the Downton Abbey television show’s costume designer, Caroline McCall. Lady Mary’s gown is an ivory column dress with a dropped waistline, long sheer sleeves and a chapel-length train embellished with lace details, pearl beading and Swarovski crystals. The Grantham family tiara, a beautiful 45-carat diamond tiara was used to secure a veil and, to complete her bridal ensemble, Lady Mary carried a simple bouquet of white Calla lilies. (Shown below are several photos of Lady Mary in her wedding dress and with her handsome groom, Matthew)

Below are several more photos of the wedding. The photo on the left shows Cora, the Countess of Grantham and the mother of the bride, flanked by her daughters, Lady Edith and Lady Sybil, all dressed in lovely pastel dresses with hats embellished with artificial flowers and satin ribbons. The photo on the right shows both of Lady Mary’s grandmothers, the conservative Violet the Dowager Countess and the more flamboyant American-born Martha Levinson wearing her fur and feathers.

For episode three of season three, Lady Edith is finally the center of attention as she prepares for her wedding to Anthony Strallan. Caroline McCall, the Downton Abbey television show’s costume designer, was inspired by a vintage silk train which was embellished with flowers and crystals which would be attached to the shoulders of the dress with embroidered flowers styled to match those on the train. Based on a similar Lanvin design, the ivory silk dress is softly gathered at the hip with more embroidered flower accents and it is both simple and elegant. Lady Edith, like her sister, also wore her veil attached with Grantham tiara which was a wonderful tradition commonly done with important pieces of jewelry by members of other aristocratic families. Sadly, as beautiful she looked on her wedding day, Lady Edith was jilted at the altar by Strallan who did not want to burden her with a life married to an older invalid. (Shown below are several photos of Lady Edith wearing her lovely wedding gown)

Below is a photo of Lady Edith with her sisters, Lady Mary and Lady Sybil, before the ill-fated wedding. Lady Mary is wearing a lovely pastel blue dress and Lady Sybil in a lavender dress, both are wearing hats.

The next Downton wedding to take place was in season five episode 8 and it was the happy occasion of Lady Rose to Atticus Aldridge. In this episode preparations are underway for the wedding and Lady Rose will be wearing two special bridal outfits, one for the registry office ceremony and another for the grand reception later that night. The dress for the wedding ceremony was a pastel blue dress with embroidered embellishments inspired by a vintage collar that Caroline McCall, the Downton Abbey costume designer, had found in Paris. The hat was decorated with preserved real roses done by the wardrobe department’s milliner. The second dress for the reception was also a vintage find at a shop in London and it was a beautiful ivory silk tulle dress with gold beading and worn with matching silk opera-length gloves. Two of the preserved roses were pinned behind Lady Rose’s ears and more of the roses were used to create a wedding bouquet with little vintage wax flowers, pearls and gilded ferns. (Shown below are several photos of Lady Rose wearing her two wedding outfits)

SPOILER ALERT: Please be aware that the following reveals season six plot details!

During season six there is a trio of special weddings during the final season of Downton Abbey. The first takes place in episode 3 and it is the wedding of Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson, he is the head butler and she is the housekeeper at Downton Abbey. While selecting her bridal outfit both Mrs. Patmore, the cook and Lady Mary are unhappy with Mrs. Hughes choice of what they think of as a drab mauve dress for the special occasion. Lady Mary suggests Lady Grantham’s velvet coat with stunning lace and beaded embellishments and while they are trying it on Lady Grantham walks in on the women and she is very upset that they are in her bedroom trying on her personal clothes but in the end she calms down and kindly gives Mrs. Hughes the beautiful coat to wear on her wedding day. (Shown below are several photos of Mrs. Hughes wearing her wedding outfit and another photo of the guests gathered for the ceremony)

Then, in episode 8 of season six, the fate of Lady Mary is quickly settled when she weds Henry Talbot. Remember Lady Mary’s first husband Matthew died in a tragic car accident shortly after the birth of their son, and her choice of a bridal dress for her second wedding was almost, dare I say it, matronly! The ivory dress features a deep V-front with embroidered detailing and long sleeves. Lady Mary wears a simple pearl necklace and for the church ceremony she wears a hat embellished with artificial flowers and netting. Instead of a bridal bouquet, Lady Mary wears a floral corsage pinned on the left side of her dress. (The photos below show Lady Mary wearing her wedding outfit and another photo shows her with her new husband, Henry)

Finally, in the series finale (the 2015 Christmas special) of Downton Abbey, Lady Edith finds the love and happiness she deserves when she weds Bertie Pelham, the new Marchioness of Hexham. Lady Edith looked absolutely beautiful in her lace short sleeved wedding dress and, since she was denied a conclusion to her first attempt at marriage, she wore a lace veil with a beaded headband instead of the Grantham tiara. (Shown below are several photos of Lady Edith in her wedding dress and with her new husband, Bertie)

(For more on the Downton Abbey television series, please click on the link. Also, to see more costumes worn by the women of Downton Abbey throughout the years, please click on the link to Downton Abbey Fashions – Part One)

Downton Abbey Fashions – Part One

Posted on January 12, 2016 by barbara

The Fashions of Downton Abbey have been truly an important part of the television series telling the story and setting the mood for the drama as much as Highclere Castle located in Hampshire, England and the interior sets located at Ealing Studios in London. When the first season opens in 1912 the women of Downton Abbey are wearing the buttoned-up lace shirts and long skirts of the post Edwardian-era and as the last season closes in 1925 the fashions have changed to the more revealing beaded dresses of the “Roaring Twenties”.

In Part One of the two part series on the Fashions of Downton Abbey I will discuss the many changes in fashion throughout the six seasons of the television series. In Part Two I will discuss the wedding dresses worn by the Crawley sisters for their weddings as shown in seasons three and six, also wedding clothes worn by several of the servants of Downtown Abbey.

Season one of Downton Abbey opens with news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the viewers are introduced to the aristocratic Crawley family; Lord and Lady Grantham and their three daughters. In the post Edwardian-era, a lady would customarily change their clothes several times during the course of a single day. Their wardrobe started with a set of undergarments consisting of a chemise, drawers, corset, petticoat and cotton stockings. Corsets were an important part of the undergarments because it was used to create the preferred shape of an ideal Edwardian women’s body; which was a silhouette showing slim hips, a tiny waist and an uplifted bosom. (Shown below in the photo is Mary, the eldest daughter, being laced into her corset by her maid, Anna, as her sister Edith looks on)

The first outfit of the day that a lady would wear would be the “morning dress” consisting of a tailored blouse and a long skirt. All items of clothing would be made of sturdy and practical material, such as cotton or linen. This outfit would be worn for breakfast by the Crawley daughters, unmarried ladies of the house were expected to come downstairs for breakfast while the married ladies would be allowed to eat their breakfast in bed. Cora, Lady Grantham, would be upstairs in her bedroom wearing her nightgown with a robe as her personal maid would serve her the tray of food prepared and sent up by the kitchen cook. (The photo on the left shows Mary wearing a lovely shirt and shirt ensemble and the photo on the right shows the three Crawley sisters wearing their “morning dresses”. The third photo shows Cora in bed still wearing her nightgown and robe waiting to be served breakfast in bed)

Later, the ladies of the house would change into their “afternoon dresses” which were made of softer fabric, generally in the summer months pastel colors would be worn. (The photo below shows the three Crawley sisters dressed in lovely “afternoon dresses” outside at Downton Abbey)

For afternoon tea, usually served between 4-5 pm, the ladies would change into “tea dresses” which would be trimmed with lace and maybe some embroidery. Tea would be served in the drawing room of the house, sometimes guests would be there or perhaps the women would be out paying an afternoon call while visiting the home of a relative or friend located nearby. If tea was being served in the house without any guests, the ladies would often remove their corsets to enjoy an unrestricted meal. (The photo below shows Cora at tea taken outside at Downton Abbey; this was sometimes done when there was good weather in the spring or summer)

After a brief rest, and sometimes a nap, the ladies would then take their time dressing for dinner which was usually served at 8 pm. A lady would change into a fresh set of lingerie which would now include a pair of silk stockings. A maid would help them into an “evening dress” which would be made of a luxurious fabric, such as silk or satin, often embellished with beading, embroidery or other trimmings. A more elaborate hairstyle would also be created by the maid, sometimes a jeweled hair comb or tiara would be worn depending on the occasion and of course a set of the lady’s finest jewelry. (The photo on the left shows Lady Grantham dressed in an elegant evening gown dress with Lord Grantham dressed in his formal evening clothes consisting of a black cut-away coat with a white waistcoat and matching trousers. The photo on the right shows the three Crawley sisters dressed for dinner in their evening gowns)

One unexpected outfit worn by Sybil, the youngest daughter, was the very stylish harem pants worn with a matching headpiece. This choice of outfit was directly influenced by Paul Poiret, a designer that created eastern inspired evening clothes made in colorful silk and satin for his socially elite customers. (Shown in the photo below is Sybil’s scandalous outfit which is quite a contrast to the more traditional evening dresses worn by her mother and sister)

At the start of season two World War I has started and the house has been converted into a hospital for the wounded soldiers returning home from the battlefields of Europe. Sybil has taken on the role of a nurse while her mother and her two sisters are also helping with the wounded soldiers at Downton. During the war, there were fewer restrictions on society in regards to clothing as many upper class women took on more voluntary work and mixed more often with the working class prompting the slow decline in the social barriers that divided the two classes.

The fashions of wartime England were reflected with military-style braiding, belts with buckles and skirts that were slightly shorter rising to mid-calf by 1915. One of the most welcomed changes for women was the gradual elimination of the cumbersome stiff crinoline which result in more ease of movement as skirts became slimmer and more fluid. (The photo on the left shows Lord Grantham with his three daughters, please note that Sybil is dressed in her nurse’s clothing. The photo on the right shows Lord Grantham and Matthew wearing full dress uniforms for a formal dinner)

Season two ends with two wedding, the first is the scandalous wedding of Sybil and Tom Branson, the Downton chauffer (which was not shown as part of the series). The second was the wedding of two Downton servants, Mr. Bates and Anna. Season three begins with two more weddings, the much anticipated wedding of Mary to Matthew. Sadly, the second wedding ended with Edith being jilted at the altar by Patrick Strallan. (To find out more detailed information regarding the wedding dresses of these Downton brides and the Grantham tiara, which was born by both Crawley sisters on their wedding day, please click on the link to Downton Abbey Fashions – Part Two)

The third season of Downton Abbey is set during 1920 to 1921 with the fashions reflecting the very distinct changes that were happening during that time period. The older members of the Crawley family, Violet the Dowager Countess of Grantham and Isobel Crawley the mother of Matthew, are very slow to change the conservative fashion style of the post Edwardian-era. Meanwhile Cora will start to dress in more modern fashions as the season progresses. (The first photo below shows Violet and Isobel with Rosamund, Violet’s daughter, at a local cricket match. The second photo shows Cora at the same cricket match)

The Crawley sisters, being of a younger generation, start to wear a very different style of clothing then their older relatives. Gone are the confining undergarments previously worn with the corset is finally eliminated while being replaced with less restrictive brassiere, panties and slips. Looser fitting dresses with dropped waistline and hemlines ranging from ankle to mid-calf length have become the current fashion. (The photo on the left are shows the Crawley ladies dressing for Mary’s wedding and the photo on the right shows the Crawley sisters just before Edith’s disastrous wedding. The other photo shows the Crawley ladies dressed for the christening of baby Sybbie, the daughter of the late Sybil and Tom Branson)

Other items of clothing for a modern women included tailored suits with a matching jacket and skirt worn with a pretty blouse. These tailored suits were often required as women entered the work place after the Great War; the suits were also worn while the women were in the city or traveling. Sometimes the more fashionable women wore their suits accented with fur collars or cuffs or a matching muff in the colder fall and winter months. (The photos below show Mary, seen with Matthew, wearing two different styles of tailored suits, the first in tweed and the second in a burgundy wool one)

As Downton Abbey moves forward into season four, we see Mary in mourning following the death of her husband in a car accident shortly after the birth of their son George. It has been six months since Matthew’s death and she is still in a state of deep depression and wearing all black. Midway through the first episode she suddenly arrives at dinner dressed in a lilac dress to the shock of everyone as she decides to move forward in her life for the sake of her son. The rules for the wearing of proper mourning clothing had a definite set of rules in post-war England although the rules were not as strict those in the Victorian or Edwardian eras. Widows in the 1920s would have had a period of eighteen months of mourning for a husband and during that time they would wear all black followed by a few more months of half-mourning when they could wear shades of grey or purple. (The first photo shows Mary dressed in a chic black dress with brocade detail on the collar and the second photo shows her in the lilac dress with a pleated bodice and embroidered collar)

Season four of Downton Abbey is set between 1922 and 1923 with England immersed in beginning of the “Jazz Age” marked by its modern music and provocative dances, such as the Charleston. Rose, the high-spirited daughter of a Crawley family relative that we met at the end of season three has comes to live at Downton. Rose frequently make excuses to go to London because she loves the excitement of the nightclubs and country life at Downton is just too boring. The clothes worn during season four are becoming more daring, especially those worn by Rose when in out on the town in London. Evening dresses of the 1920s were beaded sheaths worn with long necklaces and sometimes a beaded headband worn across the forehead. (Shown below in the photos is the innocent Rose when she first arrived at Downton and the dramatic transformation at a London nightclub!)

Edith is also spending time in London working with Michael Gregson, the owner of a publishing company, and the couple begin a clandestine romance. Since women of the 1920s had begun taking on employment and a work wardrobe was needed in the workplace, tunic tops or hip-length sweaters with a skirt or dresses with dropped waistlines and cloche hats or tied scarves. In the evening women wore rather risqué “flapper” dresses, long necklaces and beaded headbands. (Shown below in the photos are some of the daytime and evening fashions worn by the women of Downton)

season 4 - Edith work clothes brocade dress

During season four Rose makes her formal introduction into London society as a debutante and the highlight of the season is the Court presentation. For centuries the etiquette and clothing worn to this event followed a very specific set of rules and regulations. In regards to the court presentation dresses in the 1920s during the reign of King George VI, the dress would be traditionally white, although a pastel color would be acceptable. A white veil measuring no longer than 45 inches was required and three white ostrich feathers would be attached to the veil; the center feather would be slightly longer than the other two smaller feathers worn to the left and right. Gloves, fans and bouquets would be optional. (Shown below is a photo of Rose dressed in her court presentation gown and the other photo shows the other members of the Crawley family dressed for the occasion)

In season five of Downton Abbey, which takes place in 1924, there are very few changes in regards to fashion styles. Edith and Rose tend to wear more daring outfits than Mary who wears more conservative clothes, although Mary is the first one to cut her hair short into a fashionable chin-length bob. (The photo below shows Mary as she débuts her new hairstyle to the family at Downton)

For the evening, a woman wore sheath-style dresses, often sleeveless with daring necklines, made of silk and satin. The evening dresses were beautifully beaded or embellished with sequins. Costume jewelry had replaced more expensive gemstones and women would often wear long strings of pearls or tasseled beaded necklaces.

One highlight of the fifth season is the wedding of Rose and Atticus Aldridge, she actually wears two wedding outfits, one for the wedding at the registry office and a second gown for the grand wedding reception. In season six there are a trio of special weddings taking place during the final season of Downton Abbey. First there is the wedding of Mrs. Hughes to Mr. Carson; she wears a special coat previously worn by Lady Grantham. Then, near the end of season six there is the weddings of the Crawley sisters, Mary to Henry Talbot and then Edith and Bertie Pelham, the Marchioness of Hexham. (To find out more detailed information regarding the wedding dresses of these Downton brides, please click on the link to Downton Abbey Fashions – Part Two)

For more information on the Downton Abbey television series, including list of characters, season synopsis and film locations, please click on the link)

Downton Abbey television series

Posted on January 5, 2016 by barbara

I thought that with the final season of the popular television show “Downton Abbey” now airing in the United States it would be a good time for a post about the series. In this post I will discuss the many members of the fictional Crawley family, the service staff of Downton Abbey and a variety of supporting characters that have been featured on the show. I will also give a brief synopsis of each of the six seasons and highlight some of the locations around England where the Downton Abbey series had filmed, including the iconic Highclere Castle.

Downton Abbey is the wonderful creation of Julian Fellowes (Academy Award winner for best original screenplay for the 2001 movie “Gosford Park). Gareth Neame of Carnival Films had an idea to produce an Edwardian-era television drama show and approached Fellowes to write the script. Fellowes had just come off the success of Gosford Park and was reluctant to do another period piece, but he took on the project and wrote an outline for the series which he has said was influenced by Edith Wharton’s book, “The Custom of the Country”. Downton Abbey first aired in England on ITV in September 26 2010 and then on PBS in the United States as a Masterpiece Classic in January 9 2011. The sixth and final season has aired in England during the last months of 2015 and during the first months of 2016 in the United States.

When Julian Fellowes was writing the initial storyline for the series he always had Highclere Castle in Hampshire England in mind as the fictional setting for the Downton Abbey series. Highclere is the ancestral home of the Carnarvon family and Fellowes had visited often as a personal friend of the Earl and Countess Carnarvon. The beautiful interior rooms, lavish furnishings and extensive art collection are the perfect setting for the fictional aristocratic Crawley family featured in the Downton Abbey television series.

The Downton Abbey series is set at the fictional Yorkshire country estate of the Earl and Countess of Grantham and depicts the lives of the Crawley family and their servants. Over the six seasons of the show, which spans the time from post-Edwardian England to mid-1920s, numerous actual historical events are included in the storylines. The series opens with news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, then in the second season First World War has started, then in the third season the characters go through the post-war period and the Spanish influenza pandemic, in the fourth season there is the Teapot Dome scandal and in fifth season and sixth seasons the characters have moved forward into the “roaring twenties” with numerous changes in social behavior, fashions and the daily use of modern day inventions which become a part of the lives of the people of Downton Abbey.

Listed below are some of the main characters and locations of the Downton Abbey television series

The Crawley family of Downton Abbey:

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham – Hugh Bonneville
Cora (Levinson) Crawley, Countess of Grantham – Elizabeth McGovern
Lady Mary Crawley, oldest daughter, later wife/widow of Matthew and mother to their son George – Michelle Dockery
Lady Edith Crawley, middle daughter, later mother to an illegitimate daughter Marigold – Laura Carmichael
Lady Sybil, youngest daughter, later wife of Branson and dies shortly after the birth of their daughter Sybbie – Jessica Brown Findlay
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham – Maggie Smith
Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Lord Grantham – actress Samantha Bond
Matthew Crawley, third cousin of Lord Grantham – Dan Stevens
Isobel Crawley, mother of Matthew – Penelope Wilton
Tom Branson, starts as the Downton chauffer, later marries Lady Sybil and after her death becomes the estate manager – Allen Leech

The Servants of Downton Abbey:

Charles Carson, the head butler, later married to Mrs. Hughes – Jim Carter
Elsie Hughes, the housekeeper, later married to Mr. Carson – Phyllis Logan
John Bates, personal valet to the Earl, later married to Anna – Brendan Coyle
Sarah O’Brien, personal maid to Countess Crawley, later leaves Downton quite suddenly at the start of season three – Siobhan Finneran
Thomas Barrows, first footman – Rob James-Collier
Anna Smith, personal maid to Lady Mary, later married to Mr. Bates – Joanne Froggatt
Gwen Dawson – kitchen maid, encouraged to study as a secretary and leaves during season one – Rose Leslie
William Mason, second footman, later dies after World War I in season two – Thomas Howes
Beryl Patmore, the cook – Lesley Nicol
Daisy Robinson, scullery maid, later briefly married to William – Sophie McShera
Joseph Molesley, starts as the valet to Matthew Crawley, later footman at Downton – Kevin Doyle
Alfred Nugent – nephew of O’Brien, new footman at Downton – Matt Milne
Baxter – becomes Cora’s personal maid to replace O’Brien
Ethel Parks – kitchen maid during season two and three – Amy Nuttall
Ivy Stuart – kitchen maid during the remaining seasons – Cara Theobold
James Kent – new second footman during series three to five – Ed Speleers

Other characters of the Downton Abbey series:

Dr. Richard Clarkson, the local town doctor – David Robb
Sir Anthony Strallan – possible suitor of Lady Edith – Robert Bathurst
Sir Richard Carlisle – fiancé of Lady Mary, later the engagement is broken – Iain Glen
Lavinia Swire – fiancé of Matthew, later dies during the Spanish influenza pandemic – Zoe Boyle
Vera Bates – former wife of Mr. Bates who is accused of her murder – Maria Doyle Kennedy
Martha Levinson – mother of Cora (appears in briefly in season four and five) – Shirley MacClaine
Harold Levinson – brother of Cora (appears briefly in season five) – Paul Giamatti
Michael Gregson – owner and editor of a London publishing company, later romantically involved with Lady Edith, dies before knowing about their illegitimate daughter – Charles Edward
Lady Rose MacClare – the high-spirited second cousin on Violet’s side of the family, sent to live at Downton – Lily James
Lord Gillingham – possible suitor of Lady Mary – Tom Cullen
Charles Blake – another possible suitor of Lady Mary – Julian Ovenden
Sarah Bunting – local and a possible love interest for Branson – Dasiy Lewis
Atticus Aldridge – son of Lord and Lady Sinderby, later husband of Rose – Matt Barber

Brief synopsis of the Downton Abbey season one through season six:

Season One –

The first season of Downton Abbey opens with news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. The heir presumptive of the Grantham title and estate was one of the casualties that died that cold April night and the Crawley family is deeply distress about this turn of events mainly because the oldest Crawley daughter, Mary, was engaged to him. It seems that when the present Earl, Robert Crawley, married the American-born heiress Cora (Levinson) years ago her large dowry was lawfully incorporated into the estate assets to resolve its financial problems and “entailed” so that the title and properties of the estate could only be inherited by a male heir (thus the daughters of Robert and Cora Crawley would be blocked from any legal claim to the estate). As a result of these events, a distant male cousin named Matthew Crawley is notified that he is the new heir and he soon arrives at Downton Abbey with his widowed mother, Isobel Crawley. Meanwhile, Mary (never in love with her former fiancé) attentions turn to a visiting Turkish attaché, Kemal Pamuk, who unexpectedly dies while in her room for a late night romantic rendezvous (shocking I know!) Mary quickly summons her maid, Anna, to help and with the aid of her mother, Cora, they move the body back to Pamuk’s room. But Edith soon finds out the secret and, always jealous of her older sister, she plans to use this information to destroy Mary’s reputation. When she tries and fails, Mary sabotages Edith’s interest in a gentleman friend. Meanwhile sparks are flying between the chauffeur, Branson, and Sybil when he protects her during a politician rally when it gets out of control and turns violent. During this first season of the show, Matthew and Mary also start to fight their growing attraction to one another.

Meanwhile, downstairs at Downton, we are introduced to the service staff and there is also a new valet named Mr. Bates that has just be hired to be Lord Grantham’s valet and this upsets Thomas, the footman, because he felt he should have received the promotion. Thomas and Miss O’Brien, Countess Grantham’s personal maid, join forces to plot against Mr. Bates to get him fired. Then, when Miss O’Brien mistakenly thinks that the Countess is going to replacing her and she creates an accident to make the Countess to slip and fall while getting out of the bath thereby causing her to miscarriage (sadly, the child she was carrying was a boy and now the chances of a direct heir are lost forever to Cora and Robert)

Tragically, just as life at Downton is returning to normal with Cora recovering and there is a grand garden party. During the party Lord Grantham receives word that England has entered into World War I and the episode ends with him announcing the news to his guests.

Season Two –

The second series comprised eight episodes and the storylines take place during the time period between the start of England’s involvement in World War I through to the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. The season begins when Matthew Crawley, now an Army officer, and several of the servants of Downton Abbey are sent to fight in Europe. As the English casualties become known and injured soldiers are returning home, Cora strongly resists Sybil suggests that the largely empty Downton be converted into an officers’ hospital, but finally the decision is made to move forward with the idea. On a happier note, Branson confesses his love to Sybil and she finally returns the feelings. Matthew returns from the battlefield injured, possibly unable to have future children, so not wanting to be a burden to Mary or the Crawley family he leaves for London and after some time he becomes engaged to a sweet girl named Lavinia. William also returns to Downton and his injuries very serious and he will not recover. So, to ease his suffering and give him some peace before he dies, Daisy marries William granting him this one last wish. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bates makes a visit to Downton and threatens the family that she will reveal a dark secret. Shortly after her visit, Mrs. Bates mysteriously dies and Mr. Bates is accused of the crime and arrested leaving Anna very upset. He eventually goes to trial for the murder, is found guilty and sentenced to death. When, the Spanish influenza epidemic comes to Downton, first Cora is stricken but she recovers and then Lavinia also become ill but unfortunately she dies. Matthew is filled with guilt after her death because before she became ill Lavinia witnessed a romantic moment between him and Mary. But in the end, after some time, Matthew proposes to Mary and she says yes!

Season Three –

In the third season of Downton Abbey opens with Mary and Matthew being married at the local church in a grand ceremony. But sadly, poor Edith is jilted at the altar by Sir Anthony Strallan, will she ever find happiness? Branson and Sybil, now married and expecting their first child, return to Downton for the weddings, Branson has been implicated in the burning of an aristocrat’s house in Ireland. Meanwhile, Robert learns that most of the Crawley family fortune is gone due to his poorly advised financial investments. After Matthew’s reluctance to initially accept the inheritance upon the death of Lavinia’s father, he then decides to turn the money over to save Downton but Robert is reluctant to accept the money as a gift, so as a compromise it is decided that Matthew accepts the inheritance will use it to buy a half share of Robert’s interest in Downton. While visiting Downton, Sybil goes into labor, delivers a baby girl then tragically dies shortly after childbirth. The Crawley family is stunned and even the servants of Downton are greatly saddened by the loss of the beloved Sybil. In hopes to keep their newborn granddaughter from leaving Downton with her father, Branson, Violet suggests that Robert offered him the position as the new estate agent which Branson gladly accepts.

In regards to the servants of Downton, there is good news when Mr. Bates is released from prison after Anna uncovers evidence clearing him of the murder of his former wife. Mr. Barrow and Miss O’Brien have a falling out and O’Brien leads Thomas into believing the actions of a new handsome footman named James are sexual advances. He enters James’s room as he sleeps and kisses him just as Alfred comes in and James wakes up shocked and confused. In the end Lord Grantham decides that despite the scandalous situation of Thomas’ homosexual tendencies he will remain employed at Downton.

Near the end of season three, the Crawley family travels to Scotland to Duneagle Castle to visit Violet’s niece Susan, the Marchioness of Flintshire, and her husband Hugh, the Marquees of Flintshire. While in Scotland, the family also meets the high-spirited Rose MacClare, the rebellious daughter who seems to be acting out while living in her unhappy home. Later, the Marguess confides in Robert that the estate will soon be sold due to his financial misfortunes and his marriage seems to be headed for divorce. It is only then that Robert realizes that through both Matthew’s inheritance and Branson efforts as estate manager to modernize Downton that it will be saved for the future generations. This is definitely good news because Mary and Matthew are now expecting a child. Upon their return to Downtown, Mary goes into labor and gives birth to the new Crawley heir. But once again tragedy strikes the family when Matthew dies in a car accident shortly afterwards. As the season ends, Mary is seen joyfully holding her newborn son George unaware that her husband has died.

Season Four –

The fourth season starts with the aftermath of Matthew’s tragic death and Mary is in deep mourning. After a short period, Matthew’s will is discovered placing Mary to manage his share of the Downton Abbey estate until their son comes of age. Gradually, while working alongside Branson, Mary comes out of her depression and finds a fulfilling purpose in life. On a person level, Mary slowly moves forward and finds two suitors, Charles Blake and Lord Gillingham, competing for her attention. Mary finally decides to pursue a secret romantic affair with Lord Gillingham and they meet at a hotel in London but Mary comes to realize it was just a sexual attraction and that she does not love him. Meanwhile, Edith is finding a love of her own with Michael Gregson, the editor of the magazine that she is employed with to write a women’s column. Even though Gregson is technically still married, his wife is deemed insane but British law prevents a divorce, he enters into a romantic relationship with Edith. He later travels to Germany to obtain a divorce, goes missing and then in confirmed dead. Sadly, the always unlucky in love Edith discovers that she is pregnant, goes to Switzerland to give birth and then arranges to have her daughter, Marigold to live with a farmer on the Downton estate so that she is close-by but continues to struggle with this decision.

Meanwhile, a Miss Baxter comes to work at Downton as Cora’s new maid, she replaces the suddenly departed O’Brien, and it seems that this new employee has a secret criminal past that is later revealed. Daisy, always looking for ways to improve her life, enlists the assistance of the local school teacher, Miss Sarah Bunting to teach her mathematics. While at Downton, Miss Bunting is pleased to see Branson, who she previously met at a political rally, and they become friends. Mr. Bates and Anna finally get married and they move into a small cottage on the estate as they continue to work as valet and maid at Downton. Unfortunately, their happiness is very short lived when Mr. Green, Lord Gillingham’s sadistic valet, rapes Anna. Mrs. Hughes finds Anna who pleads with her to keep it a secret from Mr. Bates fearful that he might do something drastic. But as time goes by and the victimized Anna distances herself from Mr. Bates who finally figures out what happened to his wife. Shortly, thereafter Mr. Green is unexpectedly killed in an accident on the street in London and we are left to wonder if it was the traumatized Anna or the vengeful Mr. Bates that are responsible for his death.

Season four draws to an end, the Crawley family traveling to London for the “social season”, this term refers to the annual period when members of the British aristocracy and other elite members of society hold debutante balls, dinner parties and large charity events. Cora’s mother also comes to London and she is accompanied by her son, Harold Levinson. During this time, Rose makes her official debut into London society and takes part in her formal presentation to the court of King George VI which is followed by a grand ball held at the Crawley family’s London residence, Grantham House.

In the final scenes of the last episode of season four, Mr. Carson has taken the servants on a brief holiday to the seaside. In closing, we see Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes holding hands as they walk along the beach and we are left wondering what the future will hold for these two!

Season Five –

Season five starts with Edith seriously regretting her decision to have Marigold raised by the farmer on the Downton estate. Violet has been aware of this situation almost from the start but now Edith’s parents and Branson have figured out the true identity of little Marigold, but only Mary is left in the dark about the situation as Edith takes Marigold back to live with her at Downton. Finally, Edith receives conclusive confirmation that Gregson, the father of Marigold, is dead and that Edith has inherited his publishing company, but she still continues to struggle with the social restrictions preventing her from being able to acknowledge that Marigold as her daughter.

It appears that Violet, the Dowager Countess, has some secrets of her own when a Russian exile, Prince Kuragin comes to Downton and reveals his past affection for Violet which transpired during a previous visit to Russia years ago. It sees that Violet was so smitten with the Prince that she almost left her husband and children but changed her mind at the last minute. Now, she plans to reunite the Prince with his estranged wife who has just arrived in England from Russia in the midst of the chaos of the Bolshevik revolution.

In a surprising turn of events, Anna is sent to prison to await trial for the death of Mr. Green. To protect his innocent wife, Mr. Bates falsely confesses to the crime in order to have her released and he is sent to prison to await a new trial. Mr. Moseley and Baxter join forces to find evidence that Mr. Bates was not in London at the time of Mr. Green’s death. As the investigation is ongoing there is other news involving the servants of Downton. Mr. Carson is thinking about his life and future retirement and he asks Mrs. Hughes to join him in the possibility of investing in a home to be turned into a bed and breakfast establishment that they could easy run after their time at Downton is over. Mrs. Hughes is open to the idea but is hesitate to move forward with the plan.

It seems that during her time in London, Rose has met and become engaged to Atticus Aldridge, the son of Lord and Lady Sinderby. After they couple are married, Lord and Lady Sinderby invite the Crawley family to their country estate, Brancaster Castle, for grouse shooting. We come to find out that the snobbish Lord Sinderby is not approving of the scandalous divorce of Rose’s parents and that he disapproves of his son’s marriage to Rose. While during the visit, Rose intervenes in an incident that would be potential disaster for Lord Sinderby and as a result she earns his gratitude. At the end of the visit, we learn that Atticus has accepted a position overseas and he and Rose are planning on moving to America.

At the end of season five, the Crawley family and the servants of Downton gather to celebrate Christmas. Branson announces that he has decided to move to Boston taking his daughter, Sybbie, with him much to the disappointment of the Crawley family but they understand that Branson needs to do this for himself. In the final scenes of the season five, Mr. Carson finally makes his intentions know to Mrs. Hughes and he proposes marriage. There is more good news when it seems that a pub owner in Leeds has identified Mr. Bates as being there at the time of Mr. Green’s death clearly Mr. Bates of the crime and he is released from prison and quickly goes to Downton to surprise a joyful Anna.

Season Six –

(WORD OF CAUTION, PLEASE DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SEASON SIX!!)

Series six begins with serious changes affecting Downton Abbey. Some of the changes are brought on by the financial misfortunes after the Great War and others by the attitudes toward social changes involving the aristocracy and the working class and fewer moral restrictions involving women. The Crawley family watches as the old estates are being sold, while other households are seeing a drastic decrease in staff which prompts the servants of Downton to question their future employment.

In regards to social changes, Edith has taken on her role as the new owner of the publishing company left to her by Michael Gregson. Mary also takes on a more prominent role as Downton’s new estate manager after Branson had left for America. Meanwhile, the Dowager Countess, Violet, and Isobel are once again in serious disagreement over the running of the local hospital.

Mr. Bates and Anna receive wonderful news that the criminal case involving the death of Mr. Green when a person comes forward to confess to the murder. However, even with this good news, Anna is deeply saddened after she suffers a miscarriage. Mary insists that Anna sees a fertility specialist, she is diagnosed with condition preventing pregnancy, medically things are resolved and she is given a chance for having a child. There more joy for the servants of Downton when Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally get married. During the wedding reception Branson unexpectedly arrives back in England with his daughter Sybbie and announces that he has reconsidered his move to America and wishes to live permanently at Downton.

… but what happens finally happens to the Crawley family and the servants of Downton Abbey. Does Mary get married and does Edith finally find happiness in her life? We will just have to wait until the final episode of the series in shown on PBS!!

Various locations used in the Downton Abbey series:

Perhaps the best known location for the Downton Abbey television series is Highclere Castle located in Hampshire, England and it is the ancestral home of the Carnarvon family. In the series, it is the fictional home of the Earl and Countess of Grantham and portions of the show are filmed on location at Highclere using the interior rooms of the grand country house, such as the Saloon, the Drawing Room, the Library and the Dining Room. Exterior scenes are also filmed at Highclere which and can be seen in the opening credits as well as sporadically throughout the series. (For more information on the Highclere Castle, please click on the link)

Additional scenes of Downton Abbey are filmed at Ealing Studios in London with several sets designed as replicas of some of the other interior rooms of Highclere, such as the kitchen, servant quarters, working areas and several of the upstairs bedrooms of the fictional Crawley family. The reason for the construction of the servant sets at the studio instead of filming at Highclere is because the downstairs area of the house had fallen into a severe state of disrepair caused by years of water damage which led to abandonment from daily use by the estate.

The village of Bampton in Oxfordshire is used for some of the outdoors scenes involving the fictional village of Downton which is supposed to be somewhere between the towns of Ripton and Thirsk.

St. Mary’s Church in Bampton has been used as the fictional St. Michael and All Angels Church of Downton Abbey as the location for the filming of two weddings, (Lady Mary and Matthew in the first episode of season 3 and then when Lady Edith is jilted at the altar by Sir Anthony Strallan in the last episode of season 3) and also a few funerals and christenings.

The Bampton old rectory is used for the exterior scenes of Isobel Crawley’s house while the interior shots are filmed at Hall Place near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.

The exterior shots of the Dower house, the home of Dowager Countess Violet Crawley are filmed at Byfleet Manor in Surrey.

Horsted Keynes railway station in Sussex is used to film the scenes for the Downton railway station.

In the second season, the World War I scenes that supposedly take place in France were actually filmed near the village of Akenham in Suffolk in specially constructed sets to replicate the trenches and battlefields.

The fictional Scottish country estate Duneagle Castle of the MacClare family which is prominently featured in the last episode of season three (also known as the 2012 Christmas special) was filmed in Argyll Scotland at Inverarray Castle.

In season four, when Lady Edith meets Michael Gregson for a romantic rendezvous in city, the St. Pancras railway station in London is used to film the scenes that are supposed to be at King’s Cross railway station. The restaurant scene where she meets Gregson is filmed at the Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, London which originally opened in 1874.

In the last episode of season four (2013 Christmas special) Rose makes her London debut and presentation to the court of King George V which is supposed to take place in 1923 the scenes of Buckingham Palace were filmed at Lancaster House in London.

Buckingkam Palace scene Lancaster House London 1

Buckingkam Palace scene Lancaster House London 2

Also, in the same episode (2013 Christmas special) when the Downton Abbey staff takes a brief seaside holiday that charmingly shows Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes walking hand and hand along the beach, was filmed at West Wittering beach in West Sussex.

In the last episode of season five (2014 Christmas special) when the Crawley go to spend time at Brancaster Castle, the country home of Lord and Lady Sinderby, the scenes were filmed at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.

(For more information about the history of Highclere Castle, the real life estate featured in the show and the Carnarvon family, please click on the link. Also for an in depth look at the Fashions of Downton Abbey throughout the years, please click on the link)

Additional Note: For further reading on the Downton Abbey television series, I would highly recommend the two books shown below:

The Chronicles of Downton Abbey A New Era book

Travel – Highclere Castle

Posted on January 3, 2016 by barbara

Highclere Castle is the beautiful country house of the Earl of Carnarvon and is located in Hampshire, England. The 5,000 acre estate features the house and the gardens which are generally open to the public during the months of July and August. For more details about times, prices and additional tourist information about Highclere Castle, please click on the link www.highclerecastle.co.uk.

Highclere Castle is perhaps most famous as the fictional home of the Earl and Countess of Grantham and their family in the British television series “Downton Abbey” which has been shown on ITV in England and on PBS in the United States as a “Masterpiece Classic” program. Portions of the show are filmed on location at Highclere. Other scenes are filmed at Ealing Studios located in London with several sets designed to replica the interior of Highclere, such as the kitchen and other working areas as well as the servant quarters and several of the upstairs bedrooms of the Crawley family. (For more on the Downton Abbey television series, please click on the link)

In this post, I will discuss the history of Highclere Castle and the Carnarvon family that include Lady Almina who is responsible for turning Highclere into a military hospital during World War I, the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon that funded archaeologist Howard Carter and the discovery of the tomb of Tutukanhamun in 1922 through to the current Lord and Lady of Carnarvon that continue to run the estate in modern times. I will also give a brief tour of the interior rooms of Highclere as well as the exterior areas of the large estate including the gardens and outbuildings on the property.

The History of Highclere Castle and the Carnarvon Family

During the twelfth and thirteenth century the Bishops of Winchester built a medieval palace near the site of the current Highclere Castle. Several centuries later a red brick Tudor-style house was built. Then, in 1692 Highclere was bequeathed to the only daughter of Samuel Pepys, Margaret. She was the first wife of the 8^th Earl of Pembroke and later the estate would be inherited by her second son, Robert Sawyer Herbert, who throughout the years added a lovely art collection which was displayed in the home and built the stone temples in the garden of Highclere. With his death in 1769, his nephew and heir Henry Herbert (1741-1811) would inherit the estate and later become Lord and then Baron Porchester. In 1793, King George III would honor him with the title of the 1^st Earl of Carnarvon. Henry married Lady Elizabeth Wyndham on July 15, 1771 and they had five sons and one daughter.

Their oldest son, Henry George Herbert (1772-1833) would later inherit the estate from his father and become the 2^nd Earl of Carnarvon. He was educated at Eton and later became a British peer and a Whig politician. He married Elizabeth Acland on April 26, 1796 and they had three daughters and two sons. Upon Henry’s death in 1833 his oldest son, Henry George Herbert (1800-1849), inherited the titles and properties of the estate.

The 3^rd Earl of Carnarvon was educated at Eton like his father and also Christ Church in Oxford. He later became a British peer, a Whig politician and also a very good cricket player! In 1839 the 3^rd Earl commissioned Sir Charles Barry (he had just finished the construction of the House of Parliament in London) to redesign a large Jacobethan-style house of Bath stone combined with several towers built in an Italianate-style, it was completed in 1842. In 1830, Lord Carnarvon married Henrietta Howard-Molyneux and they had three sons and one daughter. When he died in 1849 his son, Henry Howard Herbert (1831-1890) would become the 4^th Earl of Carnarvon.

The 4^th Earl of Carnarvon was a prominent Conservative politician and under the reign of Queen Victoria he served twice as the Secretary of State for the Colonies and later as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The 4^th Earl commissioned architect Thomas Allom to continue the work started by the 3^rd Earl and Sir Barry and he would finish the interior design and provide the lavish furnishings of Highclere. Meanwhile, the 4^th Earl had married Lady Evelyn Stanhope in 1861 and they had one son and three daughters. After the death of his first wife in 1875, Lord Carnarvon married his first cousin, Elizabeth, in 1878 and had two more sons. It was during this time that the lavish interior decorations and furnishings of Highclere were completed.

After Henry died in 1890, his eldest son George Edward Herbert (1866-1923) inherited the titles and the property. The 5^th Earl of Carnarvon married his first wife, Almina Wombwell, she was the illegitimate daughter of the millionaire banker Alfred de Rothschild in June 1895 and her money helped to fund improvements to Highclere. The couple had two children, a son named Henry and a daughter named Evelyn. Immensely wealth, the couple lived an extravagant lifestyle and with the start of the opulent Edwardian period the house was always full with parties for Tory politicians. The couple also indulged in the expensive pursuit of horse racing and in 1902 Carnarvon became the owner of the Highclere Stud, a business that breed thoroughbred race horses. But the couple was also aware of their civic responsibilities and during World War I Almina converted Highclere into a hospital for sick and injured soldiers returning home from the battlefields of Europe starting in September 1914 (shown below is a photo of the south facing windows of Highclere with blinds to shield the patients from the mid-day sun). Almina had become an excellent nurse taking care of the wounded soldiers and there are many documented letters from patients and their families that express gratitude and appreciation for her kindness and care in opening her home to them while the soldiers recovered. Later, after the war concluded, Highclere returned to the private home of the Carnarvon family.

World War I - Highclere as a military hospital

World War I - Laady Almina at Highclere with convelesing soldiers

The 5^th Earl is perhaps best known as the English aristocrat who financed the archeological work of Howard Carter. Carter is credited as discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in 1922. Carnarvon was present when the tomb was opened and the discovery became a worldwide media event. Sadly, a few months later, Carnarvon suffered a severe bacterial infection caused by a razor cut to a mosquito bite and he died shortly thereafter on April 5, 1923, he is buried on Beacon Hill overlooking Highclere. It has been said that on the night that the 5^th Earl died, by a bizarre coincidence, the family dog strangely started to howl in an unprovoked manner back at Highclere and then suddenly died some say in an act of sympathy for his beloved master. Thus, the story of the “Curse of Tutankamun” began and continued when several other members of the archaeological team also died seemingly mysterious deaths. Almina, the 5^th Earl’s widow went on to scandalously remarry only eight months later and she went on to have two more children. (For more information about the courtship and marriage Almina and the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon and life at Highclere, I would highly recommend the book “Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey”)

Tutankhaman tomb - 5th Earl of Carnarvon, daughter Evelyn and Howard Carter 1

Following the death of the 5^th Earl his son, Henry George Herbert (1898-1987), became the 6^th Earl of Carnarvon. Henry married the American-born Anne Catherine Wendell in 1922 and they had one son and one daughter. The couple divorced in 1936 and the 6^th Earl remarried an actress and dancer named Tilly Losch. Henry died in 1987 and his son inherited the titles and properties of the estate. (For more information about the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon and his beautiful first wife, I would recommend the book “Lady Catherine, the Earl and the Real Downton Abbey”)

1922 Catherine Wendell marriage to Lord Porchester aka Porchey

The 7^th Earl of Carnarvon, Henry George Herbert (1924-2001), also married an American named Jean Wallop in January 1956 and they had three children, two sons and a daughter. Henry served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards and later became an Honorary Colonel. In 1969, Henry became the Racing Manager to Queen Elizabeth II and throughout the years they have developed a close friendship with the Queen calling him “Porchy” and she visited Highclere often at the invitation of the 7^th Earl. In 1982, the Queen invested Henry as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, an honor which is given to those that are in personal service to the sovereign.

When the 7^th Earl died in 2001 his oldest son, George Reginald Herbert (1956-current) became the 8^th Earl of Carnarvon. He is the godson of Queen Elizabeth II, studied at Eton and graduated from St. John’s College in Oxford. George married Jayne Wilby in December 1989 and they had two children, a daughter and then a son. George divorced Jayne in 1998.

The 7^th Earl remarried in February 1999 to Fionaa Aitken and they have one son. The couple is very active in the daily running of the estate and family live in a small section of Highclere while the rest of the house is opened for tours and as a venue for special occasions, such as weddings. Sadly by 2009, the upkeep of Highclere had become very costly and water damage throughout the years had caused the stonework to crumble and in other areas the ceilings had collapsed. Over 50 rooms of the house were in need of extensive repairs with some of the rooms on the main floors of Highclere remaining occupied and in daily use. With luck, the ITV/PBS television series “Downton Abbey” had begun filming and paid to use Highclere for exterior and some interior scenes and with the popularity of the show it also created an increased interest in tours providing much needed funding for the repair work. During the renovation, the 8^th Earl and his family moved into a small cottage nearby but as the work was completed they moved back into Highclere occupying the house during the winter months but moving back to the cottage during the summer months when tours were ongoing.

The current Countess of Carnarvon is the author of the two books mentioned above and shown below about her predecessors.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey book

Lady Catherine, the Earl and the Real Downton Abbey book

A Brief Tour of Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle is open to the public for a limited time during the year, generally during the months of July and August. Tours of the house are available; the venue is also opened for special events such as weddings. Visitors will find that many of Highclere’s interior rooms look familiar from the Downton Abbey television series. The beautiful gardens were designed by the famous landscape architecture Capability Brown. For more details about times, prices and additional tourist information about Highclere Castle, please click on the link www.highclerecastle.co.uk.

The Entrance Hall and Main Staircase –

The Entrance Hall of Highclere Castle instantly sets a grand, elegant and lavish style of interior decorations. This area of the house is credited to the Gothic-style design of George Gilbert Scott in 1870 (the same person responsible for the design of the Prince Albert Memorial in London) features graceful columns and a vaulted ceiling. The Main Staircase was finished in 1862 and in the past would have only been used by the Carnarvon Family and their guests, the servants would have used a different stairway to the upper floors. The oak carved staircase was designed by Thomas Allom and built by Cox and Son of London.

The Saloon –

The Saloon of Highclere was commissioned by the 4^th Earl and designed by the architect Thomas Allom. It decorated in a distinct Gothic-style featuring leather wallcoverings dated from 1631 and imported from Cordoba, Spain and originally purchased by the 3^rd Earl and hung in the house in 1862. A vaulted ceiling soars 50 feet high and provides excellent acoustics for when singers and musicians would be brought in and positioned on the second- floor gallery that surrounds the Saloon to entertain guests on the main floor.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ilpo Musto/REX (3442840e) Highclere Castle, The Salon Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle, Hampshire, Britain - Nov 2013 Highclere Castle is the location used for the TV series 'Downton Abbey'.

The Dining Room –

The Dining Room is used frequently by the Carnarvon family for daily meals and also on occasion for larger dinner parties. The main feature in this room is the massive 1635 equestrian portrait of King Charles I by Anthony van Dyck which is hung over a sideboard seemingly dominating the room’s décor, it is one of several copies and the original portrait is part of the Royal Collection Displayed in the room are several other important pieces of artwork such as the portrait of Henry Herbert, the First Earl of Carnarvon, by Gainsborough and a portrait of Anne Sophia, the Countess of Carnarvon, by van Dyck.

The Library –

The Library of Highclere was first used by the 4^th Earl of Carnarvon as a type of private office for meetings with his Tory political friends; the 4^th Earl was a member of Prime Minister Disraeli Cabinet during the reign of Queen Victoria. The room is decorated in a very definite masculine style and there are over 5,600 books with come dating back to the 16^th century. Another portrait of Henry Herbert, the First Earl of Carnarvon, this time done by Beechey is displayed over the fireplace. Later, the room was used by the Carnarvon family for drinks and conversation before and after meals.

The Music Room –

The Music Room features a Baroque-style ceiling by Francis Hayman in the 1730s and the walls are hung with 16^th Century Italian embroideries. The main item of interest in this room is the mahogany desk and chair which is said to have belonged to Napoleon. The two pieces of furniture were taken to Longwood house on St. Helena where Napoleon would die in exile, the set was bought by the Third Earl of Carnarvon in 1821. The windows of the Music Room open to the south side of Highclere and offer a wonderful view of Heaven’s Gate located on the summit of Sidown Hill.

The Drawing Room –

The Drawing Room was originally beautifully decorated in a Rococo-Revival style by Lady Almina, the 5^th Countess of Carnarvon, with lovely green French silk curtains made from material provided by her aristocratic father, Alfred de Rothschild. There are several portraits of the Carnarvon family displayed on the walls of the room, such as a portrait of the children of the First Earl of Carnarvon by Sir William Beechey depicting them in the window of Highclere. The room was used for entertaining guests but during World War I, when Highclere was converted into a military hospital under the direction of Lady Almina, the furniture of the Drawing Room was removed, stored and replaced with hospital cots filled with wounded soldiers. Found recently in a hidden narrow cupboard between the double doors from the Drawing Room to the Smoking Room was a collection of Egyptian artifacts acquired by the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon.

The Smoking Room –

Adjacent to the Drawing Room is the Smoking Room where the Carnarvon men and their male guests would go for after dinner drinks and to smoke. During the Crimean War between the Russians and British, French & the Ottoman Empire (October 1853 to February 1, the 856) the soldiers enjoyed smoking Turkish tobacco and when they returned to England the habit continued. Since the room was used specifically by men it was decorated in a very masculine style with heavy velvet curtains that served a dual purpose of absorbing the smoke and prevent it from going into other areas of the house, men would also change into velvet “smoking jackets”.

Upstairs Bedrooms –

Visitors to Highclere are able to see a very limited number of bedrooms on the upper floors. Some of the rooms are now being used as offices and the current Lay Carnarvon is in the process of renovating some of the other rooms to recreate the former children’s nursery rooms. During World War I when Highclere was used as a hospital the Arundel bedroom and adjoin dressing room were converted into an operating and recovery room. Another bedroom of note is the Mercia bedroom which is furnished with a four-poster bed covered with 18^th century silks.

Downstairs –

Behind the green baize door of the Saloon, there is a stone staircase that leads to the old staff dining room and sitting rooms, the kitchens, cellars and the other utility areas used by the servants of Highclere. (The green baize wool material, generally used to cover the surface of a pool table, was used effectively for soundproofing the noises coming from the servant areas) A long time ago, Highclere would have a large staff of over 50 servants that included butlers, footmen, housekeepers, maids, stewards and kitchen staff.

Egyptian Exhibition –

A portion of the downstairs area of Highclere has been used for a special exhibit which highlights the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon interest in the ancient Egyptian culture. Starting in 1898, Carnarvon made many trips to Egypt sponsoring archaeological excavations throughout the region. The most famous one was when he accompanied Howard Carter in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. During Carnarvon’s time in Egypt he acquired a substantial collection of artifacts and after his death in 1923 his widow, Lady Almina, sold the collection to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Unknown at the time, the 5^th Earl had a small private collection which was keep in a hidden narrow cupboard located between the set of double doors leading from the Drawing Room to the Smoking Room which was found in 1987. The re-discovered items are part of the new exhibit now located at Highclere, the British Museum and the Newbury Museum have also loaned additional items to the Carnarvon family for the special exhibition.

The Grounds and Outdoor Areas of Highclere Castle –

In 1771, the First Earl of Carnarvon commissioned Lancelot “Capability” Brown to create the lovely formal gardens and surrounding areas of the estate. Initially a small village on the property was moved to make space for Brown’s grand plans for a park that would cover over 1,000 acres of the estate with rolling lawns and placid lakes. Brown directed that 56 Lebanon Cedars be planted on the road leading up to the house; it is believed that the seeds for the trees were brought to England from Lebanon in the 17^th century by the renowned seed collector Bishop Stephen Pococke. (The planting of these trees are a wonderful and unique addition to the landscape of the Highclere estate and please kept in mind that at the time there were no commercial nurseries in which to obtain plants or seeds)

There are several follies (costly ornamental building with no practical purpose built in a park) scattered throughout the grounds of the estate. These follies were created so that during walks around the estate one would have a quiet place to pause, reflect or perhaps contemplate the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Located in an area east of the house is the Temple of Diana which was built circa 1743 in the north-west near Dunsmore Lake, the lovely structure features Corinthian columns. Another structure located to the south on Sidown Hill is Heaven’s Gate which was built in 1749.

Lastly, another interesting horticultural fact regarding Highclere is the cultivation of a hybrid holly known as the Highclere holly (llex x altaclerensis). It was developed at the estate circa 1835 and is a hybrid of the Madeiran holly (llex perado) with a local native holly (llex aquifolium)

Highclere Castle is open to the public for tours of the house on a limited basis during the year, generally during the months of July and August. For more details about times, prices and additional tourist information about Highclere Castle, please click on the link www.highclerecastle.co.uk.

Additional Note: I would highly recommend the “Secrets of Highclere Castle” DVD, which offers a wonderful glimpse into the estate and house.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

Tag Archives: Enchanted Manor

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