The year 2022 is quite a busy one for Highclere Castle and its owners: The second “Downton Abbey” movie, shot on location on the lavish estate in Hampshire, England, debuted on May 20, 2022, in the United States. November 2022 will mark 100 years since Egyptologist Howard Carter and the fifth Earl of Carnarvon discovered the Tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt—an anniversary celebrated in an upcoming book by Lady Fiona Carnarvon. We spoke with her about her love for history, gardening, traditions—and how she chose the color for the new wallpaper in the castle’s famous library.
The rain pours over the scenic grounds as my cab stops at one of the many forks in the road, leading up to what is probably the most viewed castle of our times: Highclere Castle, where the uber-successful TV series “Downton Abbey” was shot. A man directs visitors to the different parts of the estate owned by George Herbert, eighth Earl of Carnarvon, and his wife, Lady Carnarvon. The splendid mood I’m in due to the fact that I’m overly punctual for the interview with Lady Carnarvon, unfortunately, is not to last. It suddenly adapts to match the weather when I realize that I wasn’t actually expected in person—but to do a phone interview with “Lady C,” as her staff calls the countess.
But thanks to the castle’s press officer, who showed utmost flexibility and friendliness, a splendid tour around Highclere and a coffee later, I’m comfortably seated in a conference room in a building next to the castle and enjoying a personal interview with Lady Carnarvon.
A historian with already published books on Lady Almina and Lady Catherine, her predecessors at the castle, she’s been kept busy with the deadline for her newest book, on the most famous owner of the estate: George Herbert, fifth Earl of Carnarvon.
The Fifth Earl of Carnarvon
“Nobody has ever written a book about the fifth Earl,” Lady Carnarvon says. It’s a gap worth filling, as he not only was a passionate archeologist, but also had a remarkable personality and life story.His best friend at Eton was the son of the Maharaja of Punjab, Prince Victor Duleep Singh, who “was brought over by the British with the Koh-i-Noor diamond,” Lady Carnarvon says. The famous diamond is now part of the British Crown—the Queen Mother’s Crown, to be precise. The fifth Earl of Carnarvon kept a close friendship with the Duleep Singh family and stayed a part of their lives, as they were a part of his, a fact his biographer appreciates: “He accepted people as they were.”
But that’s not the only thing that made him special. He was also a great sailor who managed to navigate the southern Indian Ocean without any modern equipment, with only the stars above to guide him. He was an aficionado of horse racing and car racing, being the third person in England to own an automobile.
The Countess: Portrait of a Lady
If you ever wondered whether Lady Carnarvon has ever seen any of the “mummy” movies—she hasn’t. “I don’t need any more scares,” she replies with a friendly laugh. “I like movies like ‘Notting Hill’ or ‘Love Actually.’ And of course ‘Downton Abbey.’ I like happy movies.”What else makes her happy? One thing stands out for her: gardening. It’s one of the major topics she writes about in her 2021 book “Seasons at Highclere.”
The countess, despite having the air and confidence of British nobility, is very grounded when interacting with her staff, easily charming those around her with her friendly ways. She believes in the power of smiling. “Sometimes just smiling at somebody else can have a healing effect,” she says. “People care too much about ‘healing themselves’ these days. We should care less about ourselves and care more about others.” She identifies three h’s that are very important in her life: honor, humor, and humility.
If you’re looking for spoilers about the new “Downton Abbey” movie, no secrets about its content were revealed to me. But a behind-the-scenes anecdote was relayed by one of the few people present from the Highclere Castle staff: The library, when not used for shooting, became a green room where the actors could relax. They would all lounge there, their heads buried in their phones. Only one was reading a book next to the window: Thomas the Butler, or rather, actor Rob James-Collier, who plays the role of the butler Thomas Barrow.
Speaking of the library, there was some scaffolding in it during my tour around the castle, as the wallpapers are being replaced. “I knew the colors behind the bookshelves weren’t right. They were probably painted after the Second World War,” Lady Carnarvon said. The original color was green—but she didn’t want “another green room” like the famous Waiting Room overlooking the garden. The new wallpaper, from Hamilton West’s historic collection, is based on fragments discovered during the restoration of Cyfarthfa Castle in Wales and is adorned with printed silhouettes of jasmine flowers and leaves against an olive background with gold dots.
The process of finding the right wallpaper wasn’t something she took lightly. “Something like that takes me on and off two years until I’m happy with it, asking other people’s opinions [and] holding it up against the light in different conditions until I finally make the decision.” The production of the handmade wallpaper took over six months to finish. And in March 2022, not long before the new “Downton Abbey: A New Era” movie was due to be released, it was finally being applied.
Good things, as we agree, take time.
