Tea at Trianon: Sets for 'The Grand Finale'

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, September 1, 2025

Sets for 'The Grand Finale'

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From Architectural Digest:

Few franchises have dazzled interior design and architecture lovers in the way that Downton Abbey has. Perhaps the only character more camera-worthy than the upstairs-downstairs assemblage in the British historical drama was the abbey itself, played beautifully by Grade 1 listed country house Highclere Castle. Over the course of six seasons and two movies, fans began to expect that level of elegance and verisimilitude in all of Downton’s sets: a tall order for longtime series production designer Donal Woods.
And now it all comes to a fantastic end with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the third film and the official finale of the franchise, which premieres in theaters on September 12. While many of the series’ beloved filming locations make an appearance (you can’t have Downton without Downton, of course), there are three new sets that AD can reveal for the first time here. We also enlisted the expert commentary of Woods and director Simon Curtis to share more on the intricacies of scouting and filming places to stand in for 1930s England. (Read more.)

From Tatler:

After 15 years of upstairs-downstairs drama, aristocratic affairs, and some of the most beautiful country houses to grace the silver screen, the Downton Abbey finale is nigh. As the Crawleys return for one last goodbye in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale , fans have been making their pilgrimages to Newbury, to walk the same staircase Lady Mary did on her wedding day, sit at Jackdaws Castle where Lady Edith found herself often and take in the state dining room where the late Dame Maggie Smith delivered many of Dowager Countess' iconic lines.
But Highclere Castle isn’t the only glorious location ITV used to help portray England’s roaring twenties, from Argyll to Buckinghamshire, Downton Abbey watches like a who’s who of the country’s finest stately homes. The show’s location manager, Mark Ellis, gave the BBC the inside scoop on many of the historic homes that formed the heart of Downton, saying, ‘Goodwood, Highclere, Alnwick… the first time we were in Alnwick [Castle] and saw that dining room, my word, it just looked beautiful! The rich colours, the costumes. I miss it.’
Now, to celebrate the release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and October cover star Elizabeth McGovern, Tatler takes a look at some of the greatest locations. (Read more.)