Lady Carnarvon (pictured) shared items of personal significance in the Morning Room of Highclere Castle
1. STORY TIME
This is a portrait of my mother-in-law Lady Jeanie, the late wife of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, who was the Queen’s racing manager. Jeanie was absolutely lovely, beautiful to the end.
I used to take soup round to her house on the estate and she’d tell me fascinating stories. Since 2001 my husband Geordie, the 8th Earl, and I have had the huge privilege of taking care of this iconic building and its 300 rooms.
2. POOCH PALS
Here is Evie my spaniel sitting next to me in the Morning Room. Most rooms here are rather large and you’d need a megaphone to speak to anyone but I like how this one is quite small and intimate.
The opening shot of Downton Abbey began with a yellow Labrador happily pottering across the Castle lawns, tail wagging.
In reality at Highclere, we have eight dogs running across the lawns, though sadly not always under our direction. They make me very happy.
3. SURPRISING SKILLS
I treasure this mug our son Eddie made me when he was seven. He’s now 21 and at university – it’s been a tough year for him and his peers during the Covid pandemic. I’m not sure what career he’ll choose.
After I went to St Paul’s School, Hammersmith, I read English and German at university, but history was also a love.
Lady Carnarvon treasures a mug (pictured) her son Eddie made when he was seven
I then worked as an accountant for a while, which is good training for running a business.
4. SISTER, SISTERS
I am the eldest of six, and here I am in the middle on the sofa with my five sisters. We had an idyllic Enid Blyton-style childhood growing up in London and Cornwall.
In the country, we’d ride our ponies, collect mussels and go rock climbing. You could explore and fall over and pick yourself up again. We’d often be 20 for lunch – my late mother was very enthusiastic about organising fun.
5. WORDS OF LOVE
Geordie and I met in 1996 and The Pity Of War, a book of First World War poetry, was the first book he sent to me after that meeting. We share a love of poetry and I later gave him Other Men’s Flowers, an anthology put together in the Second World War by Archibald Wavell.
I was drawn to Geordie’s kindness and humour, and we’ve had great adventures since we married in 2001. He and my late mother would make each other cry with laughter.
6. MILLENNIA OF HISTORY
My husband’s great-grandfather, the 5th Earl, discovered the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun with archaeologist Howard Carter. But we’ve found great treasure right here on the estate.
These ancient coins were at what was the foot of an Iron Age fort and settlement, and one has been dated to 43BC.
People have lived on this land for about 10,000 years, and it’s so exciting to touch a coin that was also in someone’s hand 2,000 years ago.
As told to Yvonne Swann. To find out more about Lady Carnarvon’s books, events at Highclere and follow her blog, visit ladycarnarvon.com and @highclere_castle on Instagram
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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