Name: The Earl and the Pharaoh - Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon
Start: 2026-01-10T14:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-10T16:00:00+00:00
Location: Itchen College

The Earl and the Pharaoh - Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon

Saturday 7th March 2026 (13.30 for a start at 14.00)
at Itchen College, Southampton.
Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon, is the wife of Geordie, 8th Earl of Carnarvon. They live at Highclere Castle, known to millions around the world as “Downton Abbey” Lady Carnarvon is the best-selling author of 6 books, an historian, an international speaker and fundraiser in the UK and abroad. Lady Carnarvon, her husband and son live 'quietly' with seven dogs, a number of horses and ponies, a brood of chickens, several bee hives and some rare breed pigs, amongst the normal farm animals in the farm and landscape of Highclere Castle today. Her everyday life at Highclere varies from welcoming visitors to her home, creating events to support charities, the restoration and management of these historic buildings, gardening, filming and the marketing strategy of the Highclere brand along with global endeavours such as Highclere Castle Gin. Her latest book, The Earl and the Pharaoh – From the Real Downton Abbey to the discovery of Tutankhamun, is published to celebrate the centenary of the achievement of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Working from archives, letters and diaries, the book brings to life the story of this remarkable man and his friendship and collaboration with Howard Carter. During the arc of the biography, Lady Carnarvon relates the development of motor cars (Carnarvon was one of the earliest motorists), the story of Geoffrey de Havilland who flew his first plane from Highclere in 1910, as well as Carnarvon’s passion for horse racing and breeding. Lord Carnarvon had sailed and travelled through much of the world but like so many of us, was drawn back to Egypt and he dedicated his work and life to the excavation and understanding of Ancient Egypt. He worked for some 16 years in the inhospitable dry sands and through much of it searching for Tutankhamun. A love of travel and reading is part of Lady Carnarvon’s DNA. Following a degree at St Andrew’s University, she trained as a Chartered Accountant with what is now PWC. Highclere offers both an anchor to the past as well as seeking to innovate and play a part in a modern world, with social media such as Instagram, Lady Carnarvon’s weekly blog, podcast and her latest exciting venture “Friends of Highclere”.
Booking in advance for this meeting is essential.
The fee for all-comers is £5, which includes interval refreshments.
To reserve a place for this talk, please contact the Secretary [email protected]
Payments may be made by PayPal, Bank Transfer or cheque. Payment details are available on the website www.SouthamptonAncientEgyptSociety.co.uk
Access to Itchen College: We are pleased to tell you that the Nursery Carpark has now reopened. This means that both vehicle and pedestrian access to the site is from Whites Road. Maps and directions are available on the SAES website.