Countess of Carnarvon

Fiona Carnarvon

Lady Fiona Carnarvon became the chatelaine of Highclere Castle - the setting of the hit series Downton Abbey - eight years ago. In that time she's become fascinated by the rich history of Highclere, and by the extraordinary people who lived there over the centuries. One person particularly captured Fiona's imagination - Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. Almina was the illegitimate daughter of banking tycoon Alfred de Rothschild. She was his only daughter and he doted on her. She married the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, at 19, with an enormous dowry. At first, life at Highclere was a dizzying mix of sumptuous banquets for 500 and even the occasional royal visitor. Almina oversaw 80 members of staff - many of whom came from families who had worked at Highclere for generations. But when the First World War broke out, life at Highclere changed forever. History intervened and Almina and the staff of Highclere were thrown into one of the most turbulent times of the last century. Almina was forced to draw on her deepest reserves of courage in order to ensure her family, the staff and the castle survived. This is the remarkable story of a lost time. But Highclere remains and in this book, Fiona weaves Almina's journey and those of her family into the heritage and history of one of England's most exquisite Victorian castles.

The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey

Seasons at Highclere

Il personaggio principale del pluripremiato sceneggiato televisivo Downton Abbey, lady Cora, è ispirato a una donna realmente esistita: l'affascinante e coraggiosa lady Almina, 5° contessa di Carnarvon. Figlia illegittima di Alfred de Rothschild, Almina sposò nel 1895 lo spiantato conte di Carnarvon, portandogli una ricchissima dote che gli consentì di salvare dai debiti il castello di Highclere (oggi familiare a milioni di persone con il nome del suo alter ego televisivo: Downton Abbey). Generosa e ricchissima, durante la Prima guerra mondiale Almina trasformò il castello in ospedale e divenne lei stessa un'infermiera provetta. Sullo sfondo del magnifico castello di Highclere, tra eventi mondani, viaggi, figli, gotha internazionale e spedizioni in Egitto, si scoprono verità e segreti della straordinaria vita di lady Almina e si svelano gli articolati rapporti fra «piani alti» e «piani bassi» del castello.Una trama avvincente e un’approfondita ricostruzione storico-sociale, che faranno la gioia dei fan di Downton Abbey e di chi ama e divora biografie e romanzi storici.

Fiona Carnarvon

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