In this episode, I'm at Highclere Castle with my Labradors, who were all born at Highclere, and Lady Carnarvon's Labradors, who were of course also all born at Highclere, reminiscing about how our long friendship began, how we became related through dogs, and how the partnership between Viking and Highclere began, ultimately allowing Viking guests privileged access to one of the most famous homes and castles in the world.
Oh, it's lovely to have a chat about how we first met. It seems both like an eon ago and yesterday, and I remember it very clearly because some of my dearest friends who I'd known all my life, Michael and Daphne Dormer, were coming for Sunday lunch and they said they had a friend staying with them and could they bring her too. So of course I said yes. I think we were having a roast for lunch, being very British. And so they all arrived and it was chaotic because I had dogs, children, too many people, not enough chairs, but I hope it was still a family. And you walked in and that was the start of how we first got to know each other and worked together, and you came to stay here and the start of how you so profoundly changed my life in so many ways. But I was thinking about it this morning. Michael is of course a distant relative of mine, Michael Dormer, and he's also a distant relative of Jordis.
Jordis, which means that I'm really a distant relative of Eddie's. So, I'm Eddie's fairy godmother and also a real distant relative of him.
Well, my son Eddie just adores you. But I do remember very clearly, and we were often emailing each other because we both work quite long hours and late at night.
Sometimes too long. But you know what? I think we both enjoy it and then wish we didn't work quite so long sometimes. But I remember I said to you, 'Come and look at some puppies.' Jordis said she's too busy, she works too hard, she's always in an airport. And I said I thought she needed a puppy to be less in an airport and more grounded. And then you came to stay for Christmas, which was magic. And it was again chaotic from my point of view, but I don't mind. It's about just being together.
Happy chaos. And you then decided to take Finnsinza.
It was probably the craziest decision of my life because there was no space for a dog in my life, and I'd grown up with a rule against having dogs because my family traveled so much as well.
So of course Finnsinza was still a puppy and you kindly asked me to be godmother of a river boat, the Skadi, and I went to Amsterdam and we christened her, which was wonderful—freezing cold. And Finnsinza had come by boat and by train, so she was also there, which was magic. And then after that we began to develop pre- and post-visits here, more visits here and to Bowdown House, Michael and Daphne Dormer's home, which of course served such an important role.
To us Norwegians in the Second World War, as it was where our king and crown prince stayed.
Yeah. Gives me goosebumps. And then at that time as well, I think the king and crown prince were coming over here to play bridge and to eat, because there was always plenty of food around here because of the estate.
So it was always good to share.
And they were actually living there, not just staying—not visiting, but living there. Yeah, until I think the allies started—
Yeah. When they went to Ascot, somewhat nearer London, and Mrs. Dormer had to find a house within 48 hours for her family plus the Norwegian royal family, which she did.
And their entourage. So there's a lot of people there. So that is why on special occasions we put up photographs and do a room devoted to Norway and the fact that the king and the crown prince were near here, and their story, and then of course the Christmas tree. There is Trafalgar Square, which the Norwegians give the Brits as a thanks for their help during the war.
Yeah. So pre- and post-visits here. In fact, I know several of our guests have told me that they've booked a river trip because it gives them access to your home.
Most days in the summer, there's a Viking tour who come in before anybody else. They have a lovely wander around and go off for croissant and coffee or scones, whatever they want. And they also go down to see Highclere, and then they go back and sail with you in Egypt. It's wonderful.
Well, not many of them have watched Downton Abbey on PBS, which is a channel that I think serious thinking people generally tend to watch in the States, and we sponsor much of the PBS programming, and I think that's very squarely our demographic.
I love PBS, and we've tried to support them with some fundraising here as well. And we welcome quite a few PBS donors here, so it's an important platform.
Yeah. It's not often that one's thanked for one's advertising, you know, by the viewers, but they actually thank us for our sponsorship of PBS because it is important, I think. And that goes back again to when Downton Abbey began and we first met, and unbeknownst to us at the time, we were sort of sailing in the same direction.
Amazing, isn't it? Fifteen years later, we're still here with more dogs.
I think your father's sometimes not quite sure. But anyway—
You know, he had a rule. He always said no pets, no gifts, and no nappies. He wouldn't change nappies, and he wouldn't give gifts, and he didn't allow us to have pets. So—
I've broken a rule with you. But I also think, you know, your pa does give gifts in that he gives us experiences and travel rather than physical consumables which you're not quite sure where you bought.
