How to Visit the Real-Life Harewood House from 'Downton Abbey'
The Downton Abbey movie featured all the best aspects of the television series: fan-favorite characters like Mr. Carson, Lady Mary, and Tom Branson; the Dowager Countess's pointed one-liners; and of course, the show's iconic filming location, Highclere Castle.
But when Julian Fellowes wrote a movie version of the much-beloved period drama, he had to add is a few new characters.
"You always want a couple of new characters so you can have some situations that you haven't previously explored," he told Town & Country in a recent interview.
That goes for locations as well.
The culmination of the story's central royal visit, a stunning ball in honor of the King and Queen, takes place not at Downton Abbey, but rather at Harewood House, Princess Mary's in-laws' home.
The property, which is located in Yorkshire, has confirmed that it was a filming location for the Downton Abbey movie.
And while the film takes place in 1927, Princess Mary didn't actually move in to Harewood House until 1929, after her father-in-law passed away. (A fact that is very quickly addressed in the story.)
When the Princess Royal and her husband inherited the house, the New York Times described it as "one of the stateliest of English baronial homes, with its furnishings among the richest in England."
Now, decades later, Harewood House is open to the public, and according to the Yorkshire Post, staff at the property "are now hoping that the eagerly-anticipated Downton Abbey film will spark more interest in the life of Princess Mary."
The publication also reports that a next exhibition this month will feature items related to Mary's life, including her wedding dress train. For more information on how to plan your trip, visit harewood.org.
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