Today I’m very excited to welcome Jan Scarbrough to the blog! If you’re as obsessed with Downton Abbey as we are, and can’t wait for Season 4, read on!

Are you addicted to Downton Abbey?

I must admit I missed the first two seasons. I had no clue what it was about. However, I was a fan of Upstairs Downstairs back in the day, so I should have known what was going on. As it turns out, I ran across it while channel surfing one Sunday afternoon. It was a rerun of the first season. I was hooked.

So I begged the hubby to rent both seasons. He’s a computer geek, so he got one from iTunes and the other from Netflix. One weekend, we had a marathon watching session. He was hooked too.

That brings us to season three. I admit I’d found out from the Internet which two actors were not returning for season four. That’s why the final scene did not surprise me. But it left me wanting more.

That’s when I ran across a book called Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle.

I’m dangerous with that Buy-with-1-Click button on Amazon, and I instantly had a copy on my iPad.

Downton Abbey is set at the real Highclere Castle, the ancestral home of the Earl of Carnovan. In fact, this non-fiction account was written by the current countess, Lady Fiona Carnovan.

Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, was the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley. Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild. Just like Lady Cora, Lady Almina’s dowry helped to preserve the estate, and during World War I, Lady Almina opened a hospital at Highclere Castle.

Sound familiar?

One thing I found interesting is that the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Lady Almina’s husband, discovered the Tomb of the Egyptian Boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun, in 1922 with his archaeological colleague, Howard Carter.

So if you’re still in Downton Abbey withdrawal, you might check out Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle. 

But I warn you, don’t check out the Internet to see who else is not returning to season four. I’ve already done that. And I’m not telling.

To see the Countess giving a tour, click here!

Jan Scarbrough is the author of The Reunion Game (Ladies of Legend), Kentucky Flame (Bluegrass Reunions), and many other great books! To see more from her, check out her website and Amazon profile.

Thanks so much, Jan, for stopping by!

Readers, how about you?  Are you a fan of Downton Abbey? Are you familiar with the real history? What do you think will happen next season? (Be careful not to include spoilers!)

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