KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon took on the running of Highclere in 2001. Here, Lady Carnarvon discusses some of the key highlights of this beloved historic home

My husband’s forebears have lived at Highclere since 1679. At the time we took over the care of the house in 2001, I asked the question, “what are we trying to look after, and how can we share that?” There is a complex web of things that we try to put across to reflect and respect all of the layers of history encapsulated in the house, and also show what it is to be a home.

The music room

The music room’s baroque ceiling was painted by Francis Hayman in the 1730s for the older L-shaped Elizabethan property. It was taken down and reinstalled in the symmetrical Georgian house, and then removed and installed again into the current Victorian castle. The walls are also hung with wonderful 16th-century Italian embroideries. The room contains Napoleon Bonaparte’s desk and chair from St Helena.