There are only a handful of TV shows that I've watched more than once, and Downton Abbey is one of them. So when I got offered an opportunity to go to England and live like the Crawleys for four glorious days, I just about sprained an ankle jumping at the chance.
As I got ready to set out on what I could only assume would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Downton Abbey fan like myself, I wondered how different the lives of the Crawleys would be from my own. I know I certainly don't own any ballgowns or tiaras — or have any occasion to wear them. And although I wouldn't be staying at Downton like the family does, I would spend a few nights at a nearby historic English-manor-turned-Four-Seasons-Hotel, which was close enough for me.
My first day led to a run-in with royalty and feast fit for the Crawleys
After arriving in England the night before, I decided to start the Crawley-living right away by ringing down for breakfast — a delicious egg and avocado toast with a glass of fresh juice and, of course, some English breakfast tea.
A few short hours later, myself and a few fellow journalists were whisked away to Highclere Castle — the actual set of Downton Abbey. As we pulled up to the iconic castle, it felt like we had just jumped into an episode of the show — I was half expecting Mr. Carson to greet us at the door. We were met by Lady Fiona Carnarvon, who is essentially the real-life Cora. Her husband, the Earl of Carnarvon, has had Highclere in his family for centuries. She gave us a tour of the castle, which looks exactly as it does on the show from the furniture to the paintings on the wall.
After the tour and some more tea, I had the ultimate Crawley experience: attending an exclusive event put on at Highclere. A limited number of high-price tickets were sold to get the chance to watch the Downton Abbey movie inside the castle's library, all to raise money for a local hospital. As to be expected with any event thrown at a castle, it was perfectly magical. Before the movie, we stood in the grand entryway, sipping on champagne and munching on passed hors d'oeuvres. At one point, I quite literally brushed shoulders with an Earl. Talk about things that don't happen everyday — if you're not a Crawley, that is.
Right before the movie began, as everyone filtered into the library, I ducked back out of the room to go use the restroom upstairs. That moment, while entirely unplanned, was one of the most surreal of the trip. Being the only one in that iconic entryway, rushing up the infamous staircase to do something as ordinary as go use the bathroom before sitting down to watch a movie — it doesn't get much cooler than that.
Later, we headed to the Four Seasons Hampshire, a historic manor sat on a 500-acre property just a short drive away from the castle, where we were met with an amazing dinner spread that could have easily been served at Downton.
On the second day, we partook in some old fashion, high class fun.
The following morning, I got to indulge in a few of the recreational activities that the Crawleys might do from day-to-day. Bright and early, we set out to watch a club go out on a hunt around the hotel's property. Dozens of stunning horses, several well-dressed riders (including a woman in a top hat riding sidesaddle, just like Lady Mary would), and a few dozen hound dogs came to ride the hunt trails. What made it all the more fascinating was the fact that the hunt riders traditionally have a few glasses of port before setting out on the hunt. That's certainly one way to spend a Wednesday morning!
Next up was clay pigeon shooting, and this was about as close to the Crawley's shooting expeditions as I was willing to get. As someone who has never held a rifle, let alone seen one outside of a museum, the idea of shooting anything was mildly terrifying. But I just kept thinking to myself, "if Lady Mary can do it, so can I." As it turns out, shooting the clay pigeon targets was actually quite fun (especially since I managed to hit about eight of them) so I can certainly see the appeal for the Crawleys.
Just as the weather started to take a downturn, it was time to head inside for a lunch spread in the dining room. By this point I was getting entirely used to not even having to think about what food I wanted from meal to meal: You just knew that it would be there and it would be delicious, which seems to be exactly how the the family of Downton faired.
Dressing like a royal was the highlight of trip.
Later in the day, I had to chance to accessorize like a Crawley. Jewelers Bentley and Skinner, who just so happen to also provide jewelry to the British Royal family, brought in three gorgeous tiaras similar to ones they provided for the characters in Downton Abbey. The tiara I tried on came with a jaw-dropping price tag of nearly £200,000 or $266,000. Considering the amazing weight of that price, it felt surprisingly light on my head. Wearing one out to events like the Ladies in the show is definitely something I could get used to.
Afterwards we had cocktails (from the Downton Abbey cocktail book, of course) followed by a large dinner complete with soup, salads, beef Wellington, roasted vegetables, and dessert.
The following day, as someone carried my bags to the car that would take me to the airport, I could certainly see why the Crawleys would be hard pressed to give up their luxurious lifestyle. It really is surprisingly easy to get used to.
From my brief look into the lives of the English upper class, I learned a few things. First, if you're a fan of the show and have the chance to visit Highclere Castle, you should absolutely do it. Second, the age that the Crawleys lived in may be gone, but there's certainly still an opportunity for a select lucky few to lead very similar, privileged lives. And lastly, there really is no such thing as too much tea.
The full series of Downton Abbey can be streamed on Amazon Prime. The Downton Abbey movie is available for download now and on DVD December 17.
