The Countess of Carnarvon | MASTERPIECE Studio
MASTERPIECE Studio
MASTERPIECE
4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 17 May 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
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Summary
The 8th Countess of Carnarvon wears many hats including author, chartered accountant, social media influencer, gin magnate, and impeccable hostess. Lady Carnarvon and her husband, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, are the latest stewards of the historic Highclere Castle, which you may recognize as the primary filming location for Downton Abbey. In this episode, Lady Carnarvon discusses her new book, A Year At Highclere: Secrets and Stories from the Real Downton Abbey, and shares what it’s like to call this piece of living history home, as well as all things ghosts, gardens, King Tutankhamun, Downton Abbey, and more.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Great Lakes, the Arctic and Antarctica, iconic destinations around the world. |
| 0:06.3 | Viking offers opportunities for discovery with a shore excursion in every port. |
| 0:11.3 | Learn more at Viking.com. |
| 0:18.2 | I'm J. Slay Cobbb and you're listening to Masterpiece Studio. |
| 0:26.5 | It's likely no surprise that Downton Abbey, the beloved period drama, is the most-watched |
| 0:32.1 | Masterpiece series and highest-rated drama in PBS history, with the final season on |
| 0:37.3 | Masterpiece bringing in more |
| 0:38.6 | than 26 million viewers. Across its run, it racked up 69 primetime Emmy nominations and 15 |
| 0:45.7 | Emmy wins across the six seasons, along with countless other awards. Downton Abbey might be the |
| 0:51.8 | story of the Crawleys, the venerable families struggling to keep their family estate intact and thriving amidst the upheaval of the 20th century, but it is also a story about a distinct place and the people who live and work there. |
| 1:04.7 | After all, this period drama isn't called the Crawleys for a reason. At the drama's heart is the mighty edifice itself, which ebbs and |
| 1:12.2 | flows over the years along with the changing tides of history, much like the real downtown |
| 1:17.2 | itself, High Clear Castle. High Clear Castle has become synonymous with life above and below stairs |
| 1:24.8 | in the Yorkshire of the early 20th century depicted in downtown abbey, |
| 1:29.1 | even if the real-life castle itself is located in the south of England, |
| 1:33.1 | just outside Newbury and a 40-minute drive from the dreaming spires of Oxford. |
| 1:37.9 | This is a place of significance, a striking and now iconic house |
| 1:42.3 | with a rich history that sits in a thousand-acre parkland |
| 1:45.7 | designed by Capability Brown. But like Downton Abbey, this stately home is also very much a home. |
| 1:53.1 | In this case, it's home to the 8th Earl of Carnarvon and his wife, the Countess of Canarvan, |
| 1:57.8 | who are the latest stewards of this historic property. |
| 2:04.6 | The house, the estate, the landscape is not just for us. It never has been. It's for others as well. |
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