by Carnarvon, Fiona Countess of
First published 2017
Lady Fiona Carnarvon opens the doors of Highclere Castle, the famous Downton Abbey filming location and her family's ancestral home. She reveals how generations of Carnarvons have hosted royalty, politicians, and cultural luminaries within these storied walls. Drawing from family archives, she reconstructs four historic weekend parties spanning seventy years, showing how Benjamin Disraeli, the Prince of Wales, and other notable guests experienced Highclere's hospitality. The Countess explains the intricate art of grand entertaining: invitation protocols, seating hierarchies, dress codes, and table arrangements. She traces how social customs evolved across decades while maintaining the elegance of English country house tradition. The book combines stunning photography of Highclere's interiors with charming archival images, offering readers both historical insight and practical guidance for hosting their own gatherings with period-appropriate menus and cocktails adapted for modern use.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, british-literature, 21st-century, 19th-century, art-history, architecture
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-setting, insider-perspective
Setting: Highclere Castle
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Rizzoli