Kate’s 2¢: “Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey: the lost legacy of Highclere Castle” by Fiona Carnarvon Countess of Carnarvon

“Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey: the lost legacy of Highclere Castle” by Fiona Carnarvon Countess of Carnarvon  

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Who could ever forget Mrs. Bridges, the cook in “Upstairs, Downstairs” hosted by Alistair Cooke on the PBS series “Masterpiece Theater”?  Now, I know who her namesake was: Mrs. Bridgeland!

   While the program was airing each week, my husband had some other program he liked to watch and never stayed on PBS long enough for me to pick up the full story line. Then, ACB started doing audio descriptions with the third segment, but we couldn’t get the sap (second audio program). Now, with roku, we can access sap, but “Downton Abbey” is a pay-to-view. We aren’t willing to pay, so I down loaded the book from BARD. I’m thoroughly enjoying Kristin Allison’s reading of this story.   

   I suspect what I’m missing by not accessing the AD PBS version are music, different character voices, sound effects, and the descriptions fitted in-between the dialogue. I think, though, by reading the book, I’m getting a more detailed understanding of what transpired. Usually, after I read a book, I don’t appreciate watching the movie.

This story expounds about Howard Carter and carnarvon’s discovery of King Tut’s tomb, the hospital during the war, and the lavish life style.

From https://www.womansday.com/life/entertainment/a

Dec 17, 2019

lady carnarvon real life Downton Abbey

MATTHEW LLOYD

You likely don’t know Lady Fiona Carnarvon, eighth Countess of Carnarvon. But you probably know a little bit about her life and her home of Highclere Castle thanks to a not-so-little show called Downton Abbey. Or at least you think you do.

Although Lady Carnarvon and her husband Geroge Herbert, the Eighth Earl of Carnarvon, are the real-life counterparts of Downton Abbey’s Lord Robert and Lady Cora Grantham, she says that they’re “truly not very similar at all.”

“It’s much more hands-on, it’s much more pro-active,” Lady Carnarvon tells Woman’s Day during a recent press trip to the estate. “Cora is living in a different century. Today, I’m running events, marketing, branding, there’s a computer system, an accountant. I’m going on the bicycle to go walk the dogs, see the gardeners, down to the farm to see the pigs, feed the chickens, and then that’s the first part of the day before I’ve even started.”

MORE FROM WOMAN’S Day.

   Fiona Herbert 8th Countess of Carnarvon was born as Fiona Aitken. She has been married to George Herbert since February 18, 1999. They have one child.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey: the lost legacy of Highclere Castle DB75167

Carnarvon, Fiona, Countess of. Reading time: 7 hours, 58 minutes.

Read by Kristin Allison. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Bestsellers

World History and Affairs

Lady Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon, chronicles the era that inspired the British television series Downton Abbey. She details the life of Almina–illegitimate daughter of Sir Alfred de Rothschild–who married the fifth earl of Carnarvon in 1895 and enjoyed upper-class privileges until World War I. Some violence. Bestseller. 2011.

Downloaded: February 23, 2021