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The early years of the twentieth century rank among the most peaceful in European history. In Britain's grand homes it was a time of glamour, high society, and unfettered optimism. The British aristocracy enjoyed life on vast estates as they had done for centuries. Retinues of servants, beautiful houses, and fabulous costumes: the parties were extravagant, the scandal was infamous. It's no surprise that some of the most popular dramas to hit our screens have been set against this rich and colorful backdrop. In reality, however, the picture was less than golden; the historic order was starting to crumble. With World War One looming, and new technology, money, and ideas coming over from America, the British aristocracy were being threatened by deepening undercurrents of change as the nation stood at the brink of an upheaval so monumental that few could imagine it. Nowhere was this threat of change felt more acutely than within the confines of the British Manor House.

Secrets of the Manor House

Step inside one of Britain's best-known manor houses. It may be more famous now than any time in its 1,300-year history as the setting of Downton® Abbey, but England's Highclere Castle has its own stories to tell. In its heyday, Highclere was the social epicenter of Edwardian England. See how all the inhabitants of Highclere lived, from the aristocrats who enjoyed a life of luxury to the army of servants toiling "below stairs." Also find out how the current inhabitants, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, spend their $1 million in annual upkeep funds, and what life in a fairytale castle is like today.

Highclere Castle

Step inside the historic Hampton Court. Hampton Court is the ultimate royal pleasure palace, embodying an indulgent and grandiose lifestyle built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and furthered by King Henry VIII. Its many rooms chart Henry VIII's decline from fit young warrior to bloated womanizer, and they tell the vivid stories of the ladies who became his queens. Later, King William III and Queen Mary II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild Hampton Court, demolishing half of the red brick Tudor palace and replacing it with an exquisite Baroque castle, making Hampton Court one of the most unique palaces in the world. Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace digs beneath the brick and stone to unveil an abundance of art and lore that bring Hampton Court to life.

Henry VIII's Palace, Hampton Court

Step inside the family home of Diana, Princess of Wales. Nestled on over 14,000 acres of English countryside is Althorp House, the childhood home and final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. 19 generations of Spencers, one of Britain's most eminent aristocratic dynasties, have lived there for over 500 years. The estate is now in the hands of Diana's brother Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, guardian to a vast wealth of artistic and historical treasures. Works by Rubens and Van Dyck line the walls, while the guest book boasts signatures from such illustrious figures as King William III, Sir Winston Churchill, and Queen Elizabeth II. Earl Spencer leads a personal tour around this noble manor that is to him, above all, still very much a family home, relaying how the history of the house is inextricably bound up with the character, strengths, and weaknesses of those who have lived there before him.

Althorp, The Spencers

Step inside the home of the Dukes of Devonshire. On an estate the size of Washington, DC sits Chatsworth, home to the Dukes of Devonshire, one of the grandest aristocratic dynasties in England. The tales of intrigue, tragedy, and scandal of this great family are inextricably intertwined with those of the house itself, from the decadent life of the shockingly glamorous Duchess Georgiana, to the tumultuous love story between JFK's favorite sister Kathleen Kennedy and heir Billy Cavendish. Peregrine Cavendish, the 12th Duke of Devonshire, shares the history and some of the inner workings of this great house and grounds, one of England's largest private homes, which is "much more of a home than perhaps it looks from the outside... we're very lucky.

Chatsworth

Exactly 100 years ago, the world of the British manor house was at its height. It was a life of luxury and indolence for a wealthy few supported by the labor of hundreds of servants toiling ceaselessly "below stairs" to make the lives of their lords and ladies run as smoothly as possible. It is a world that has provided a majestic backdrop to a range of movies and popular costume dramas to this day, including PBS' "Downton Abbey."

But what was really going on behind these stately walls? "Secrets of the Manor House" looks beyond the fiction to the truth of what life was like in these British houses of yesteryear. They were communities where two separate worlds existed side by side: the poor worked as domestic servants, while the nation’s wealthiest families enjoyed a lifestyle of luxury, and aristocrats ruled over their servants as they had done for a thousand years.

The Best Seasons of Secrets of the Manor House

The Best Seasons of Secrets of the Manor House

Season 1