Do families still live like Downton Abbey?

But it turns out that modern day versions of Carson, Mrs. Hughes and the rest of the staff at Downton Abbey still exist today. Many of the great houses of England prevail (though they are as likely to be occupied by international billionaires with superyachts as they are by aristocrats).
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Do ladies maids still exist?

Duties include: care of the wardrobe and a Lady's private rooms, care, cleaning, pressing and mending of a Lady's clothes, preparation of clothes for packing. Today this role is still sought after and Marshall Harber have placed many successful lady's maids.
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Are there still servants today?

A recent study conducted by Wetherell, a real estate agent to the megarich, revealed that there are more servants working in the tony Mayfair section of London than there were 200 years ago. Ninety percent of the 4,500 residents who own houses, and 80 percent of apartment-dwellers have servants.
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Do British people still have servants?

Certainly there are now many people working in service, and there are no shortage of families wanting to hire professional domestic staff—but in London that probably has to do with the sheer number of wealthy people arriving in the capital to set up new homes, and almost nothing to do with Downtown Abbey.
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Are footmen still used?

The role is now virtually a historic one, although servants with this designation are still employed in the British Royal Household, wearing a distinctive scarlet livery on state occasions.
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The Real Downton Abbey



Do the rich still have servants?

They do for themselves.

They have dog walkers, maids, assistants, butlers, and drivers to take care of the monotonous chores of everyday life. Contrary to this image, billionaires often do just fine fending for themselves.
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Does anyone live in Highclere Castle?

The current owners, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, are consummate professional hosts, welcoming tens of thousands of visitor each year and hosting royals, including Queen Elizabeth (George Herbert, the current Earl of Carnarvon, is her godson) in their home.
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How can I live like Downton Abbey?

7 Ways to Turn Your Home Into Downton Abbey {kinda}
  1. 7 Ways to Turn Your Home into Downton Abbey.
  2. Pull out the silver. Do your eyes hurt after watching an episode of Downton? ...
  3. Bring back tea time. ...
  4. Eat breakfast in bed. ...
  5. Enjoy candles at dinner. ...
  6. Dress up a vanity. ...
  7. Artwork. ...
  8. Start using titles.
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Did they have bathrooms in Downton Abbey?

Anna Bates carrying a potty

Image courtesy of PBS. The chamber pot was far more convenient and comfortable than the lavatory. Emptying the upper classes' potties brought servants into an extraordinarily intimate relationship with their employers.
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Are there female butlers?

There are highly skilled female butlers. Who are trained to perform the tasks traditionally reserved for males. Such as security and chauffeuring. Many female butlers are also excellent at managing staff, organising events, and managing household projects such as refurbishments.
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Do rich families still have butlers?

Besides using placement agencies, some wealthy families require butlers and other key household staff to take personality tests, she says. To land a new assignment, many butlers work with placement firms. Many become butlers after they outgrow another job as a personal chef or a nanny, Feigon says.
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Do British estates still exist?

But, over the past two centuries, thousands of country houses have been torn down. "There were almost 5,000 mansions at their mid 19th century peak, but that number has almost halved -- only about 3,000 remain today."
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Is Downton Abbey realistic?

Though Downton is not a real place (the TV series and movie were filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire), its struggles represent very real challenges that similar real-life aristocratic families faced. The working class in Britain had changed after World War I.
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Where does a Lady's maid sleep?

So, the housekeeper usually slept near the maid-servants, and a female head cook slept near the Kitchen. The lady's maid was placed as close as possible to her mistress so that she could provide immediate attendance. Sometimes her room was also large enough for her to accomplishing starching.
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How much did a footman get paid?

His salary was around 30 pounds ($3,200) a year. Many footman's salaries were based one how tall they were rather than how well they did their work. The taller and more impressive they were the more they received.
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Are there still butlers?

Thirty-five years ago, there were only a few hundred butlers left in Britain; today there are roughly 10,000, plus thousands more abroad, including the fastest-growing butler market of them all, China.
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How much does Downton Abbey pay to use Highclere Castle?

In 2013, the New York Times wrote that it costs $1.5 million a year to run Highclere Castle. The Countess has done everything she can to make sure the estate continues to rake in that amount. With the help of Downton, they're on a steady course for being financially stable for years to come.
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How much did it cost to run a house like Downton Abbey?

He said many clients spend $6 million to $8 million on renovations, though some spend much more. In the end, the total bill for keeping an estate is upwards of $1.5 million or more.
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How much is Highclere Castle worth?

mortgage experts say Highclere is valued at about 72 million British pounds, — or about $95 million dollars.
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Do butlers live with you?

Live-in butlers are not altogether common, but many households benefit from having a full-time butler living in the home to cover tasks around the clock. To bring on a 24-hour butler, it's essential that you have suitable, private living quarters to make this staff member feel at home.
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Why doesn't Lady Edith have a maid?

Maybe Edith's lady's maid is new and she doesn't quite trust her to do her best when she's going to be seeing the King and Queen. So Edith gave her lady's maid time off for the duration of Edith's trip to Downton.
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Is there a real Lord Grantham?

Earl of Grantham is a fictional title in the peerage of Great Britain. As of 1920, the current holder of the title is Robert Crawley. The Earl is addressed as "Lord Grantham" and the Countess as "Lady Grantham". The seat of the Earls of Grantham is Downton Abbey in Downton, Yorkshire.
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Does Lord Grantham have an illegitimate child?

Cora decides who's inheriting – and it's not Lady Mary's son

She knows that Thomas is the illegitimate son of O'Brien and Lord Grantham – and the rightful heir to the house. She knows it will kill her husband to see an illegitimate child inherit Downton Abbey and she has waited a long time for this moment.
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How much does it cost to stay at Downton Abbey?

The cost of a night's stay at Highclere Castle is $186.36. The reservation is first come, first served.
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Who will inherit Highclere Castle?

His eldest son Lord Porchester will inherit the Highclere estate after the Earl's death. His second wife Fiona Carnarvon is a former accountant with Coopers & Lybrand and is the eldest of six sisters.
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