I met the real Lady of Downton Abbey and she revealed huge catastrophe | UK | News

Aristocrats who visit the generous real -life Downtton Monastery and A lists often come to a driver with a driver with an assistant for any baggage. On the day I met Carnarvon’s 8th Count in Highclara Castle, I am covered with an elegant designer hill perfectly wrapped in my hair-but thanks to my supermarket bag and my mini shell, I do not hide my folk roots.

Highcleri, of course, recognized the world’s land in Hampshire as the magnificent main character in the epic drama of Julian Fellowes. The aristocratic initiative may not be a series of staff to greet less, but I’m still nervous.

I’m about to come face to face with the castle owner Lady Fiona Carnarvon, just 100 years ago, he’d look at my way to check that I didn’t miss a dust in silver items.

I am here thanks to the social mobility. And as we know, the first impressions are considered. Lady Carnarvon can be found in the corner of an ordinary office room in which the nearest home allies help plan the next day.

Among the cacophony of the bell mobile phones, he is busy dealing with the brave of the hectic program of the hectic program. Like a multi -storey maid who makes a wrong turn, I resist the Curtsy urge tense. I extend my hand for a company (but not very solid – as a school career consultant) for hands and introduce myself as “sam ,, a name that the upper classes struggle at the best times.

Lady C, as he likes to be known, politely asks if I have traveled too much. “Essex”, I answer, waiting to see if the salts are fragrant. “Just like Michelle Dockery.”

The smile he shot back tells me that I have no reason to worry about me.

For the last 15 years, Downton Abbey has captivated millions of fans with dramatic stories, striking sets and humorous dialogues.

The screens of Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Jim Carter, also launched the careers of Michelle Dockery, Lily James and Dan Stevens. Now, after six seasons and two successful films, finally the third and last cinematic installment ends with The Grand Finals, published on Friday [Sept 12].

Lady C coincided with the instant finals, wrote for a year in the Highcler – secrets and stories from the real Downton Monastery, now and then, the famous centuries of the old property has a sincere explanation with its own story.

And after the death of his 61 -year -old Carnarvon, who moved to his husband Geordie in 2001, he gave a special interview to Daily Express after the death of his father’s 8th Earl.

The records of the Highcleri are returning to a surprising 748 with a lineage containing the famous Egyptian Lord Carnarvon, who discovered the tomb of Tutlukhamun – and succumbed to the famous curse, as the legend.

The responsibility of the director of the 1st Grade National Treasury listed is tremendous and Lady Carnarvon and Geordie are aware of this. “I hope we only meet as a hardworking couple, you know, those who make graft like everyone else, or he says.

And they’re doing grafts. When the film teams land on Highcler, it is a meticulous event. “They arrive at 7 am outside at 6 in the morning and at 7 am in the house,” he explains. “So you hear all the vans rise.”

His husband Geordie deals with the first welcome, while the 11-hour shooting day uses early hours for emails before starting.

As Lady C explains, continuous coordination with the cleaning team and film team is required to ensure that the rooms are always safe.

“One of the state chambers is always deported because there is a signed fire, so it provides a really good excuse to hold it to ourselves – and that is the side of the house that has everything that should not touch anyone like vase and other heirlooms.”

Inevitably, there are setbacks.

In March 2010, the evening before the first day of shooting, O and Geordie made sure they moved their most valuable items to a safe place.

But they forgot a item. “At a table across the fireplace, we noticed Green Laquered Objet Vertu (an antique box), Lad Lady C.

“I was sure that it would be good for Geordie, but it didn’t take a day as a lighting burst fell – the crew was mortgage and it took me six months for me to find someone who could repair it. I felt terrible guilty, but my husband didn’t say ‘I told you’.

Bilmen adds a smile: “We always say that you should have a good sense of humor to work here.

After that, most of the glassware and pottery was rented. However, for the next 15 years, he became a player friend, many of them returned to the shots to stay at Highcleri as guests of the family. Lady C soon learned that the life of an actor consisted of the salvation of a moment after an old wait.

“We often saw that Jim Carter was hanging outside while the others were pulling,” he laughs. “He’s a really good man. ‘You stole M’Lord’ or whatever he was going to sit outside all the bloody day waiting to say.”

But soon later he found out which actor had the most lines or camera time, but what he was doing with him.

“Maggie Smith has always filled her words,” he remembers. “I learned a lot from watching him. He had no great presence in any of the episodes, because he was shooting other projects such as Harry Potter and the best exotic Marigold Hotel, but he still remembered with a line or one scene – this was like magic.”

Before Downtton Abbey, the Highcler Castle Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie’s 90s comedy television series Jeeves and Wooster and 1987 in The Secret Garden. Now Downton is ending, was he planning to open the doors of the Lady C house to another shooting team?

“Import to the Highcs to me, or he replies. “Recently, we have made various calls and not what I think is right, not especially for those who love the Downton Monastery.

“I meet people who watch 22 times and express something for them. I get e-mails with stories about how their loved ones are not good and how to visit Highcleri on the Aquarius list before they die.

I personally witness the payment armies to visitors because the Highcleri is open from seven to five days. Lady C takes me to those who are considered as the Lady Mary’s counter in Downton to escape the crowd.

However, a small crowd began to emerge from previous interviews that recognizes the real lady of the mansion. He jumped out of the counter to chat with the gathered and relieves instantly.

After a few stock exchanges and photographs made with visitors from all over the world, his goal is to “make everyone feel welcome”.

Lady C continues: orum I love that people can pass the threshold here and walk around the gardens. If you want privacy, you will definitely be wrong.

“Being in Highclare is very important to continue everyone and this has happened for centuries. Visitors and staff – a great community here and this joy.”

In 2014, Kale received many VIPs, including George Clooney, which has been released by Downton’s special ITV charity institution. As Lady C wrote: “I believe most women working on ITV came to Highcler that day. Just the press, but as far as Mr. Clooney thinks he can think of it as a place for Mr. Clooney’s subsidia.

However, now reflects the open-door policy of Highcleri, he says: ız We are all part of the same plan-We should enjoy it so that people can come and enjoy it. Every month, I work for them to make sure that we have enough money to pay their mortgages.

In fact, there is a large community based on the profitability of the house.

Lady C., “There is a feast team – there are 1,200 people who serve food, there are teams that cook for feast teams in kitchens, there are very small offices, gardeners and the list continues, Lad says Lady C.

Despite his best efforts, he acknowledges that Highcere is “sometimes misunderstood”. The incoming box is the source of feedback that is more needed from visitors and sometimes there is criticism. “Paper glasses! People complain that we do not serve our hot drinks in the fine bone Chinese they expect from an installation like ours, but this is not just applicable!

“After Covid, we moved to a recyclable option and we’re stuck with him because of the cost and manpower to protect a clean supply of China-but we don’t go well with some. As a compromise, we’ll soften the coup for everyone waiting for a full tea service, and I hope we’ve started to stock the paper cups-and offer the afternoon tea.

The plan of the last film surrounds until it is released. However, in the 1930s, the combs will keep the risk of scandal divorce from Lady Mary’s Henry Talbot (Matthew Goodwin) scandal divorce.

As for his future, Lady C philosophical. “If you don’t do the best, there’s no point in doing something like a Downton because otherwise there is nothing for us, or he says. “Finally, you need something called cash.”

And to provide a very busy Lady C with a team of highclarie, Maggie Smith’s “What is the weekend?” He can find himself while thinking about his famous question.

• One Year in Highclara: Secrets and Stories from the Real Downton Monastery, Carnarvon Countess (Century, £ 22)