Highclere Egypt

Mohammed Mounier

A few days ago, I was watching a documentary about one of the most famous and ancient palaces or castles in London, Highclere Castle, which houses 300 rooms and is surrounded by 5,000 acres of gardens. The castle is owned by a family with roots in the British aristocracy, the Carnarvon family.

The film explores the history of the castle, which dates back to the 8th century, and was originally owned by the Bishops of Winchester. The ownership of the castle was passed down through heirs until it was transferred to the Carnarvon family in 1771, starting with the 1st Earl of Carnarvon and continuing to the 8th Earl, Geordie, who currently lives there with his wife, Fiona, and their only child.

One of the surprising Egypt-related anecdotes I encountered during the film was that the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was obsessed with Egyptian civilization. In 1906, after a serious accident, doctors advised him to spend the winter somewhere away from England's cold climate. He chose to travel to Luxor, where he and his wife Almina stayed at the Winter Palace Hotel. During that time, he met Howard Carter in 1909 and began financing Carter's archaeological discoveries in Egypt, receiving 50% of the artifacts found. In 1910, he decided to build a house near the Valley of the Kings and lived there with Carter, as it was close to excavation sites.

To this day, the house still exists in Luxor under the name Castle Carter. In 1922, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, but the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was unable to obtain his 50% share of the artifacts due to Egyptian law at the time. Nevertheless, he managed to own a collection of original artifacts that still remain at Highclere Castle, despite heirs' denial. There are demands to return these artifacts to Egypt, and the Earl of Carnarvon died just a few months after the tomb's discovery.

A dedicated hall in Highclere Castle displays some original Egyptian artifacts and a section devoted to the story of discovering Tutankhamun's tomb, featuring replicas of the items found in the tomb. To this day, the Egyptian artifacts wing of Highclere Castle remains the most famous and attractive part of the castle for visitors, as confirmed by the 8th Earl Geordie and his wife Fiona in the documentary. On the castle's website, there is a section dedicated to Egyptian civilization, where you can purchase a copy of the book "The Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb" and advertising materials containing photos of the artifacts owned by the castle, which can be bought through the website. In truth, there is much to discuss about this historic castle and the family that owns it. However, what caught my attention in the documentary and the story of this castle is the management model that has been employed throughout the ages. The family has successfully maintained and preserved the castle's grandeur up to the present day, spending £1.8 million annually on its maintenance. In return, they have managed to generate millions of pounds in revenue each year. In the summer, at least 1,200 visitors per day come to Highclere, with each ticket costing £20 per person. This amounts to £24,000 per day in ticket sales alone, not to mention additional visitor expenditures on the castle grounds, such as gift shops, parks, hunting areas, and special events. The castle was fully booked during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Another source of income for the castle is hosting royalty, dignitaries, world leaders, and wealthy individuals who want to experience living in a historic castle surrounded by nature. They spend extended periods within the castle, paying tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds per day for the royal experience provided by the castle's management.

We have not yet discussed the revenues generated from filming television series and movies at the castle, which also amount to millions. The popular historical series "Downton Abbey" was filmed in its entirety within the castle, along with numerous international films, such as "The Secret Garden," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Pride and Prejudice," and many more.

The current estimated value of the castle is around £137 million, equivalent to more than 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds. Highclere Castle has a comprehensive website with information about its history, visitors, services, available attractions, reservations, payment options, and a calendar of events throughout the year. The site also allows users to download the castle's smartphone app for various operating systems.

Highclere is an exemplary model of a historic castle that generates millions in annual profits and is managed with exceptional professionalism.

Final word:

Egypt has around 1,200 historic and ancient palaces, dating back to the time of the Pharaohs, including 400 royal palaces.