Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey Audiobook By The Countess of Carnarvon cover art

Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey

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Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey

By: The Countess of Carnarvon
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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About this listen

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.

©1988 Fiona Carnarvon (P)2013 Random House Audio
Great Britain Historical Royalty War Imperialism King

Critic reviews

"A dynamic performance by Wanda McCaddon brings the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, to life in this marvelous audiobook. Whether she's describing catastrophic events or everyday occurrences in the lives of the Carnarvons, McCaddon delivers.... Listeners hear Winston Churchill's booming voice and Lady Catherine's subtly nuanced expressions as if they're privy to their real-life conversations." (AudioFile Magazine)

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

What listeners say about Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey

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