Downton Diplomacy

Diplomatic spouses toured Highclere, the stately home of the Earl Carnarvon and the setting for the TV drama Downton Abbey.

Lady Carnarvon (the real Lady Grantham) treated spouses to a personal tour of the castle and over lunch shared stories of the real people behind the Downton characters and life behind the castle doors.

She also revealed tales of ‘stately home’ diplomacy. This year Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary and Highclere, as the location of informal meetings between the fourth Earl of Carnarvon, who was Secretary of State for the colonies, and Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister. The documents for Canada’s first Constitution were drafted at Highclere.