Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey

By: The Countess of Carnarvon

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the setting for Julian Fellowes’s Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Catherine Wendell. In this transporting companion piece to the New York Times bestseller Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, Catherine, a beautiful and spirited American woman who married Lady Almina’s son, the man who would become the 6th Earl of Carnarvon, presides over the grand estate during a tumultuous time for the British aristocracy. Following the First World War, many of the great houses of England faded as their owners fortunes declined in the new political and social world of the 1920s and 1930s. As war loomed, Highclere’s survival as the family home of the Carnarvons was again in the balance—as was peace between the nations of Europe.

Using copious materials—including diaries and scrapbooks—from the castle’s archives, the current Countess of Carnarvon brings alive a very modern story in a beautiful and fabled setting, paying particular attention to the staff who provide Highclere Castle with continuity between generations.

Critic reviews

“Downton Abbey diehards busy speculating about what the future might hold for Lady Mary Crawley and the rest of the Grantham fam­ily might want to sate their obses­sion with this well-timed history of the castle’s real inhabitants from 1923 to 1945.”— BUST

"The lives of the actual people who experienced love, heartache and service at Highclere Castle, the real name of the majestic building showcased on Downton Abbey, are told in this riveting book. Although technically a historical biography, the Countess of Carnarvon has written a book that reads more like an exceptional novel."— Deseret News

"Lady Carnarvon's narrative is a vivid time-stamp of a tempestuous period in history, aptly incorporating its political situation and social structure, to satisfy history buffs and Anglophiles."— Publishers Weekly

“Gossipy and fun, with a good history lesson—sure to delight Downton Abbey fans.” — Kirkus Reviews

Pleasant Historical Bio

Like its predecessor book about the wife of the 5th earl of Carnargon, this is an enjoyable and accessible telling of the adult lives of the 6th earl, with a focus on his first wife, and to a lesser extent of the history of Highclere Castle during the 6th earl's lifetime. A surprising but informative bonus is the detail about life in England during World War II. Well done.

merit to all 3 "Real Downtons" but redundant

8/2025 read all 3 biographies/histories of Highclere Castle in England where "Downton Abbey" was filmed; Fiona Carnarvon, current Countess of Carnarvon, wife of the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, who are today's residents of the property, does an excellent job of bringing to life the key family characters of the last 100 years or so, & placing them in their time in history

each of the 3 books has merits, but they are definitely redundant to some degree; IF one chooses to read all 3, I recommend starting not reading them in the order of publication; I found it good start with Lady Almina & the Real Downton Abbey The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle (2011), followed by The Earl & the Pharaoh: From the Real Downton Abbey to the Discovery of Tutankhamun (2022), & finishing with Lady Catherine, the Earl, & the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle (2013); this way you follow the Carnarvon thread in pretty much chronological order; depending on one's key interests, you may/may not opt not to read all 3

Lady Almina & the Real Downton Abbey The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle (2011) - daughter of Alfred de Rothchild, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon's life spanned 1876 - 1969; to me, she & her husband were the key & most interesting characters of all 3 books; key world events of the time period addressed include the turn of the century from 1800s to 1900s, & WW1, & finding King Tut

The Earl & the Pharaoh: From the Real Downton Abbey to the Discovery of Tutankhamun (2022) - Lady Almina's husband was the member of English aristocracy who worked with many, including legendary Egyptologist Howard Carter, over many years to finance & search for the Valley of Kings treasure; his efforts culminated in finding the highly significant King Tut tomb in 1922, which is still well known a century later; the story in this book is a key part of the Carnarvon family tapestry, but is a deep dive into details & specifics of Egyptian archeology & the minute elements of the search/find/recovery/preservation of tomb & contents; it may have less appeal if one is primarily interested in Downton Abbey, Carnarvons/English aristocracy & royal family, or overall 20th century history; for those into Egyptology, it is a must read

Lady Catherine, the Earl, & the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle (2013) - the 6th Countess of Carnarvon is the central character of this book; she is the American born daughter-in-law of Lady Almina; the key world event of the time period addressed is WW2 & the book concludes with ties of her generation with her descendants still living on the property today

fans of the Downton Abbey series & movies will definitely see tie ins between the fictional & real stories

History

This is not a book for fans of Downton Abbey. It is the history of a family and a property. Both family and property played an important role in the history of England. For fans of history, the Countess’s notes will expand insights of relationships from gamekeepers and housemaids to the queen. If history bores, pass it by.

A WHO'S WHO OF OLD ENGLISH SOCIETY

What did you love best about Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey?

The story was a snapshot of society at the time.

What did you like best about this story?

Listening to the little vignettes of English society.

Have you listened to any of Wanda McCaddon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There isn't enough substance to the story to make a movie.

wonderful!

The real story of the castle is awesome! I loved the history of both world wars behind it.