WATCH LIVE Federal government to announce funding to help Toronto host six 2026 World Cup games
The federal government is set to announce funding to help Toronto host six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Queen Elizabeth II was once a guest at the elegant Highclere Castle that served as the backdrop of the hit television series Downton Abbey.
“My father-in-law was one of her greatest friends from the age of 16, and my husband is her godson,” Lady Carnarvon told CTV News from the manicured grounds of Highclere Castle. “It was a retreat and a haven where nobody ever talked. It was a place where she could enjoy the countryside.”
A four-day Platinum Jubilee celebration begins Thursday to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, the longest reign of any British monarch. Events are scheduled across the United Kingdom, Canada and beyond.
“She has been an extraordinary example, I imagine, of both firmness and directness, but above all of compassion,” said Lady Carnarvon, also known as Fiona, the eighth Countess of Carnarvon.
“I think World War Two, which was the time she grew up in, we were all in the trenches,” the countess added. “It didn’t matter whether you’re the King or the Queen, or you were a farm labourer or a teacher, it was a huge leveller, which is completely correct, as was the pandemic.”
Lady Carnarvon’s husband is the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, and Highclere Castle is his family seat. They oversee the grand estate, located 100 kiilometres west of London, which was the primary filming location for all six seasons of Downton Abbey, plus two movies based on the series. The latest film was released in Canada on May 20.
First built in 1679, the 300-room castle was renovated extensively in the 1840s. Lady Carnarvon’s family mostly lives in a smaller cottage on the sprawling grounds, which are open for visits, guided tours and even overnight stays. Past guests include Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes.
“He’s stayed here, he’s eaten here, he’s drunk here, he’s slept here, so it gives it that sense of reality,” Lady Carnarvon said.
Not all past visitors have had connections to the show or royalty. The castle was a hospital during the First World War and a home for evacuee children during the Second World War. Lady Carnarvon has written two books telling its story.
“Historically, it’s not particularly accurate,” she said of Downton Abbey. “But it wasn’t trying to be a historical documentary: Downton Abbey was supposed to be a costume drama and fun and interesting.”
The castle even has a Canadian connection. In her blog, Lady Carnarvon describes how the fourth Earl of Carnarvon hosted Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and others at the property to work on the British North America Act, which led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.
“It is the wealth of friendship, and the common grounds that we all have, and a reason to come together every so often,” Lady Carnarvon said of the 54-member Commonwealth, which are mostly former British colonies like Canada. “That’s sort of invaluable, actually. So, I truly hope that people do stay with it.”
Lady Carnarvon has introduced a ‘Friends of Highclere Castle’ program, which is a two-tiered membership for people who are passionate about the building. According to its website, membership includes private tours of new rooms, virtual 3D tours, as well as access to parts of the building used for filming Downton Abbey.
The federal government is set to announce funding to help Toronto host six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians feel their right to freedom of speech is in danger.
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Tiger Woods accepted a special exemption for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the first time the three-time champion has needed an exemption to play.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'
What do you need to pack for a cruise? When it comes to this upcoming cruise from tour and travel company Bare Necessities, the answer appears to be very little.
Danny DeVito had the opportunity to know way more about Drew Barrymore than the rest of us.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.