I’m delighted to welcome author and explorer Levison Wood to Highclere, where we talk about my great love; trees and his book, The Great Tree Story: how forests have shaped our world.

Levison shares how studying the Grand Tour at university inspired his lifelong passion for travel and storytelling, from hitchhiking across Europe and Central Asia to serving as an officer in the Parachute Regiment and deploying to Afghanistan. He recalls founding a production company and undertaking extraordinary long-distance walks, including nine months walking the White Nile from its farthest source to the Mediterranean, followed by the length of the Himalayas and other epic routes.

We explore what drew him to write about trees, especially an experience with the Asháninka in the Amazon and we discuss ancient yews, cedars, redwoods, Highclere’s planting of 22,000 trees and his plans to adapt The Great Tree Story into a feature documentary.

01:05 Grand Tour Roots

03:26 Modern Travel Risks

04:56 Army Years and Afghanistan

05:49 From Soldier to Storyteller

07:31 Walking the Nile

09:06 More Epic Expeditions

10:33 Planning and Logistics

12:31 Highclere Explorer Heritage

14:30 Why Trees Matter

17:32 Ancient Trees and Estate Planting

19:42 Redwoods and Tree Lore

23:29 Trees in Culture and Craft

24:33 Green Man and Next Film

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

I welcome Dutch historian Rutger Bregman to the podcast after first messaging him on Instagram and we talk about what I took from his book Humankind and my own wish to bring people together to remember friendship and kindness.

Rutger reflects on Dutch directness and equality shaped by living with water, from the 1953 flood to the Delta Works, and shares why he writes for a general audience about big questions of human nature.

We discuss his challenge to the “veneer theory” and his belief in “survival of the friendlies,” alongside a real shipwreck story near Tonga where six boys survived 15 months through cooperation. Our conversation turns to bullying, family and attachment, the Second World War and Rutger’s research for Moral Ambition on how resistance spreads simply by asking others to help.

01:10 Dutch Culture and Directness

04:01 Water Engineering and Delta Works

05:41 Early Civilizations and Conflict

06:58 Why Bregman Writes Big History

08:12 Debunking Human Nature Myths

10:07 Cooperation at Highclere Today

12:49 Tempest and Amoral People

13:55 Real Lord of the Flies Story

19:00 Bullying Attachment and Family

21:41 Victorian Fathers Revisited

22:40 Reform Politics And Women

23:28 Why Study War

24:04 Resistance Myth Debunked

25:24 Heroes Are Asked

27:29 Unconventional Organizers

30:25 Kindness After Loss

32:19 Kindness Is Contagious

35:03 Lessons From Animals

36:18 Veneer Theory And Dickens

37:59 British Indirectness

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

I’m delighted to welcome historical novelist Caroline Montague to the castle, where we talk about how writing offers a refuge from everyday life and how she protects her creative time in her office with her dogs. Caroline shares the remarkable history of Burnt Norton, its links to T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets,” and the dramatic tale of Sir William Kite, whose scandal, bankruptcy, and death by fire helped give the house its name, alongside stories of the “white lady” said to haunt the top floor.

We discuss her path from law and interior design to writing, her planning process shaped by a firm agent, shifting titles and covers, and her current rewrite of a book about a famous royal swap. We also chat about spaniels, horses and the comfort animals bring.

00:49 Writing Routine and Space

01:35 Career Path to Author

02:41 Burnt Norton and TS Eliot

04:42 William Kite House Tragedy

07:02 Ghost Stories White Lady

09:51 House History and Hauntings

11:25 Plotting Process and Ideas

13:16 Deadlines Output and Titles

15:18 Rewriting The Hook

16:08 Jigsaw Writing Method

17:17 Past Healing Present

18:17 Woods And Creativity

18:35 Spaniel Life And Social Media

19:59 Dressage Highs And Loss

21:09 New Horse Gio

22:33 Italy And Spanish Stallions

25:08 Books Animals And Imagination

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

I’m delighted to welcome the novelist Emily Howes to the castle to talk about her book The Painter’s Daughters, inspired by Gainsborough’s portraits of his two girls and the striking shift from their lively childhood images to a stiffer, unhappier adulthood.

Emily shares how she researched 18th-century Bath, its muddy, smelly, party-like medical culture, through visits and sources such as James Hamilton’s biography, Letters from Bath, and books on travel, while noting how little survives from the daughters’ own voices.

We discuss Molly’s documented illness and Emily’s discovery of a possible porphyria link to the Prince of Wales, as well as Gainsborough’s finances, his wife’s hidden savings, and the sisters’ relationship, which Emily likens to Downton Abbey’s sister dynamics.

Emily also previews her next novel, Mrs Dickens, exploring Catherine Dickens’s erasure after Dickens left her for Ellen Turner and the fate of their children.

00:46 Why the Daughters

03:20 Bath After Covid

05:57 Money and Marriage

08:18 Research and Sources

09:27 Molly Illness Mystery

12:21 Sisters and Downton

16:05 Blue Boy and Imagination

17:25 Gainsborough at Highclere

22:23 Next Book Mrs Dickens

24:35 Dickens Family Fallout

27:53 Catherine After Separation

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

In this episode from Highclere Castle, I sit down with Nick Hopton to talk about his book, "Marma Mia," which begins as the story of buying and restoring a holiday house in an unspoiled part of Tuscany, the Maremma and becomes a wider family and personal journey.

Nick shares how reading "A Year in Provence" during COVID while he was British Ambassador to Libya helped inspire him to write a feel-good book that encourages readers to discover lesser-known regions.

We discuss his Foreign Office career and his approach to languages, including learning Arabic across postings such as Morocco, Yemen, Qatar and Libya, along with French, Italian, Spanish, some German, and some Farsi ahead of becoming ambassador to Iran after the 2015 nuclear deal and the reopening of the British embassy.

Nick explains how a friend’s suggestion to look beyond Chianti led serendipitously to the first house they viewed and ultimately boughtalongside the realities of renovating abroad: high costs, practical challenges, and the highs and lows of making a place work for family life. We also talk about his unexpected love of landscaping and working with a skilled digger operator he calls “Michelangelo,” the region’s food, wine, local olive oil and its strong Tuscan accent.

Nick recounts a memorable moment when a friend arrived with an armed escort and the town’s mayor turned out to greet them, and he updates me on ongoing projects, including drilling a 97-meter well to reach a fresh aquifer. Looking ahead, Nick describes writing best in the relative isolation of the Italian house and shares his interest in writing more broadly about the Mediterranean, linked to his role creating a new program at the University of Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics. We touch on the Napoleonic history of the area, including the principality of Piombino and Lucca and Napoleon’s sister Elisa and end with a playful question about a dream dance guest Nick chooses Dante’s Beatrice, reflecting his early love of Dante’s poetry and its lifelong influence.

00:00 Meet Nick Hopton & the book ‘Marma Mia’ (restoring a house in Italy)

00:50 Inspired by ‘A Year in Provence’: writing a feel-good travel memoir during COVID

01:59 Diplomatic life & learning languages: Arabic, French, Italian (and more)

04:26 Why you should speak the local language (even with bad grammar)

05:17 Falling for Tuscany’s Maremma: the serendipitous house-buying story

07:42 Renovation reality: highs, lows, and why the Maremma stays authentic

08:44 Landscaping obsession: diggers, Kubotas, and ‘Michelangelo’ the operator

11:05 Food, wine & dialect: tomatoes, olive oil, and the Tuscan accent

12:49 Small-town surprises: the ambassador friend visit and the mayor’s welcome

13:43 The work never ends: is the villa project ever really finished?

14:01 Digging a 97m Well & the Never-Ending House Project

14:27 What’s Next After the Book: A Wider Mediterranean Focus

14:58 Seeing the Mediterranean Holistically (Cambridge Geopolitics & Trade Routes)

16:26 Duff Cooper, John Julius Norwich & Highclere’s Colorful Guests

17:20 Writing Habits: Tuscany, Isolation, Rhythm & Beating Procrastination

18:37 Italy, Maremma & Napoleonic History: Elisa and the Principality of Piombino and Lucca

20:30 Diplomatic Postings & Reopening the UK Embassy in Iran (2015)

23:09 Iran Today: Regime Weakness, Protests, and a Hope to Visit the Cradle of Civilization

24:21 Highclere’s Library, the Book Club, and a Shared Love of Italy

25:27 Finale: The Summer Dance Fantasy Guest—Dante, Beatrice & Vita Nova

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

Welcome to my podcast! In this special episode, I am thrilled to welcome Colin Thackery, a Chelsea Pensioner and Britain's Got Talent winner, who has an extraordinary life story to share. Colin talks about his time in the Royal Artillery, his experience being appointed an MBE and his unexpected journey to stardom at the age of 89. We also discuss his book, 'My Story. Love Changes Everything' and his enduring love for his late wife Joan. Join us as we reflect on his inspiring journey, his military service and his newfound fame with captivating stories of bravery, love, and resilience.

00:49 Colin's MBE Award Journey

05:49 Life at the Royal Hospital

09:32 Britain's Got Talent Experience

15:44 Reflecting on Joan's Legacy

16:12 Early Marriage and Military Life

17:22 Family and Cultural Heritage

18:51 Royal Artillery and Highclere Event

22:24 Musical Journey and Britain's Got Talent

25:09 Post-Army Career and Civilian Life

29:05 Meeting Jo and New Beginnings

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

In this New Year special episode, I'm delighted to sit down with my husband. We reflect on the challenges and highlights of 2025, including our memorable 'Weekend to Remember' event and the exciting premiere of the 'Grand Finale' film. We also discuss the personal joys and trials on the farm and in our gardens, and the impact of a very dry summer. Looking forward, we share our excitement for upcoming events in 2026, including the construction of the new garden pavilion, various celebrations, and our special Viking cruise. Highlights include our successful charity efforts, advancements in our gin business and the addition of our adorable new spaniel puppies. Here's to a happy and prosperous 2026 for everyone!

00:00 Welcome and New Year Reflections

00:26 Challenges of 2025

01:03 A Memorable Weekend to Remember

03:32 The Grand Finale Premiere

04:59 Racing Highlights and Future Plans

06:20 Business and Farming Challenges

08:57 Exciting Upcoming Events

11:55 Highclere Castle Gin's Global Recognition

12:57 New Additions and Future Projects

16:33 Concluding Thoughts and New Year Wishes

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

In this episode, we are joined by Toby Wilkinson, acclaimed Egyptologist, historian, and author, whose work has shed new light on the mysteries and marvels of ancient Egypt. Toby brings his deep expertise and passion for history to our conversation, offering listeners a fascinating journey through the world of pharaohs, pyramids, and the enduring legacy of one of humanity’s greatest civilizations.

We delve into Toby’s latest research and publications, exploring the cultural, political, and spiritual life of ancient Egypt. Toby shares captivating stories from his fieldwork, discusses the challenges and rewards of uncovering the past, and reflects on what modern society can learn from the ancient world.

Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply curious about the wonders of Egypt, this episode promises to inspire and inform, revealing the timeless relevance of ancient wisdom.

Key moments:

• 01:20 – Introduction to Ancient Egypt
• 02:18 – Toby’s Journey as an Egyptologist
• 04:15 – Major Discoveries and Insights
• 06:41 – Life and Culture in Ancient Egypt
• 07:46 – Lessons for Today
• 13:10 – Final Thoughts and Reflections

Join us as we unlock the secrets of the past with one of the world’s leading experts on ancient Egypt.

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month.