If you love Downton Abbey as much as the WGBH Drama Club, you know that the castle is an important character on the show. Played by the real-life Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, the castle is country seat of the real-life Earl of Carnarvon, and has served as the home of the Lord and Lady Carnarvon for more than 300 years.
Many of the events you see on screen in Downton Abbey are in fact based on true events from Highclere Castle’s past — a rich history that is full of surprises. George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, is known for his role financing the expedition that discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, and the castle still holds many centuries-old Egyptian artifacts. During WWI, the castle played an important role as a military hospital, where Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, nursed injured soldiers and set up an operating theater.
Today, the Carnarvon family still lives in the castle, which is also open to tourists and serves as an event venue. It has also appeared as a backdrop for all kinds of movies, TV shows, and music videos. Let’s take a look at where else Highclere Castle has made an appearance in pop culture.
And so you can start preparing for the Dowton Abbey film coming to theaters next month, the entire series is now available for streaming on WGBH Passport.
John Legend’s “Heaven” Music Video
Highclere Castle went modern and made a star appearance in John Legend’s video for “Heaven,” a 2006 song with a lot of religious undertones. Legend sings his heart out, and generally looks cool in front of the castle. And it looks like John Legend later became a Downton Abbey fan — in 2016 he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and re-imagined the show's theme song with lyrics.
The Secret Garden
There have been many adaptations of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s classic, but Highclere Castle was a stand-in for exterior shots of Misselthwaite Manor for the Hallmark Hall of Fame's 1987 version. The castle also appeared in the 2001 sequel Back to the Secret Garden.
Jeeves And Wooster
Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry spent some time at Highclere Castle to film their show Jeeves and Wooster, which aired in the UK from 1990 to 1993. The show was based on P. G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves” stories, and the castle brought the fictional Totleigh Towers to life.
The Four Feathers
Highclere Castle's salon appeared in this 2002 film. Starring a young Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson, as well as Wes Bentley and Djimon Hounsou, the film took place during the British Army's Gordon Relief Expedition in the late 1800s in Sudan. Ledger plays a young officer who resigns his post out of moral opposition to the war in Africa and is accused of cowardice.
The Missionary
Look familiar? We, too, were surprised to find out that Downton Abbey wasn't Maggie Smith's first experience at Highclere Castle. Smith appeared in the 1982 film The Missionary, which follows Reverend Charles Fortescue, played by Michael Palin, who returns from missionary work in Africa with a new assignment: ministering to prostitutes in London. Fortescue enlists the financial help of Lord Ames and his wife Lady Ames, played by Smith — with Highclere Castle serving as their home.
King Ralph
Remember this comedy from the early 1990s starring John Goodman? After a freak accident wipes out the ruling royal family, an American with very distant relations to the family is brought to England to reign. He gets a crash course in being royal from private secretary Lord Willingham, played by the inimitable Peter O'Toole. Given the royal plot line, some extravagant locations were needed. The exterior of Highclere Castle served as the home of Lord Graves, who is trying to sabotage the plot.
Downton Abbey is now available for streaming on WGBH Passport.
