If you've ever watched "Downton Abbey," Highclere Castle's elegant facade looks just like you would expect in person. What viewers might not know is that along with the exterior shots of the property, the TV show and movies were filmed inside, too. Whether it's the famous staircase that Lady Mary walked down in her wedding gown, the elegant saloon, or the bedrooms where many heart-to-hearts were held, the rooms inside Highclere look exactly like they do on your screens. The lady of the house, Fiona Carnarvon, the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, told the Daily Mirror that all the furnishings and decor in the house are in the traditional style, so the crew didn't need to change anything up (they don't even have a TV downstairs!). However, the servants' areas like Mrs. Patmore's kitchen were filmed off-site at a studio as Highclere's were deemed too modern, as Lady Carnarvon told the Daily Mirror.
Filming in a house where people actually live seems like it would be a bit difficult, but according to Lady Carnarvon, it all worked out smoothly. When asked by Wales' Daily Post if she and the Earl of Carnarvon had to move out during filming, she said that it would have been "a disaster" letting the cast and crew run free in the house, adding, "We've always lived in there together — throughout the whole thing — which is completely fine."
