01-07-2025
Meet the real Downton hounds: the Countess of Carnarvon's dogs behaving badly
Fiona, the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, 61, who lives at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the setting for the hit ITV drama series Downton Abbey, could teach the fictional Lord Grantham a thing or two about dog ownership. He has just one labrador to bring to heel — she has six, plus two spaniels — and they often cause chaos when the film crew's catering trucks roll in.
We have six labradors and two working cocker spaniels. It all started with Percy, a yellow labrador I bought from a friend when my son, Eddie, was two years old. He was a lovely dog for Eddie to grow up with and we nicknamed him the Yellow Lion because he had this wonderful old-fashioned big head.
