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The Countess of Carnarvon

Biography

The Countess of Carnarvon

Lady Fiona Carnarvon married the current Earl of Carnarvon in 1999, and they took over Highclere eight years ago.

The Countess of Carnarvon

Books by The Countess of Carnarvon

by The Countess of Carnarvon - Biography, History, Women's History, World History

The current Countess of Carnarvon tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show, Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the basis of the fictional character, Lady Cora Crawley. Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home.  Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman.