What a few weeks it has been! On Sunday I was sitting in a 1903 motor car on the road to Brighton, and before that there was Jane Austen, a family visit to Beaulieu, and a very special evening at Knowsley Hall.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• Walking in Jane Austen’s footsteps

• Two weeks until Stately!

• Back to school at Beaulieu

• Dinners of Diplomacy at Knowsley Hall

• London to Brighton, at last

• On to Valencia

I’ll tell you all about it!

Walking in Jane Austen’s footsteps

The American Countess team has been back out filming, this time at both Chawton House and Jane Austen’s House. With a new Sense and Sensibility out, and everybody anticipating Netflix’s new Pride and Prejudice, the timing could hardly be better!

Chawton House was where her brother and his family lived, and she spent a great deal of time there. Then there is the house she shared with her mother and her sister, Cassandra.

It was fantastic to walk in her footsteps, through the rooms and around the house she knew so well. This one is coming soon to Stately!

Two weeks until Stately!

Which brings me to the big news! As of today, we are just two weeks away from launching Stately.

Stately brings everything we make together in one place: American Countess, Mapperton Live, and so much more that I can’t even list it all here!

Best of all, it means you’ll be able to talk to one another, wherever in the world you happen to be.

If you join the list now, you’ll get in 48 hours before everyone else. I’d love for you to be among the very first through the door.

Get in early!

Back to school at Beaulieu

Last week Luke and I went to Palace House at Beaulieu to see our cousin, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. We were there for a reason: we both needed to be trained on the 1903 De Dion-Bouton before the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run!

The car has always been in the Montagu family, and only Montagus have ever driven it on the run. We each had somewhere between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half behind the wheel, all around Beaulieu.

It is not easy! There’s no accelerator pedal and no real brake. You stop with a hand brake, and you speed up using the engine and the throttle, between low gear and high gear.

Wowzers.

While Luke was having his turn, Lord Montagu showed me the five bedrooms he has just redecorated, each with the most personal touches. I won’t give too much away, because this is coming to our YouTube channel, but of course Stately members will see it first!

Dinners of Diplomacy at Knowsley Hall

I’ve just come back from two of the most extraordinary days at Knowsley Hall for Dinners of Diplomacy: Dialogue, Not Division. It exceeded every expectation!

Our host, the Countess of Derby, is a proper historian, a brilliant public speaker, and one of my biggest inspirations. Her symposium marked 250 years of American Independence and the legacy of Yorktown.

What a treat to hear Andrew O’Shaughnessy speak about our direct ancestor, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. He was First Lord of the Admiralty during the War of Independence, and he often takes the blame for losing the colonies. Andrew set the record straight: he wasn’t entirely at fault!

And the dinners! They were served in the exquisite Knowsley dining room, and every course came from recipes of the Revolutionary period, gently updated for today’s palate.

I stayed in the Lady Victoria room, which has a Montagu connection, so of course I was thrilled. As you’ll understand, I can’t say anything about who I met.

Huge thanks to the Knowsley team, who looked after me so well throughout. And to Lady Derby, thank you for having me. I’m so honoured!

London to Brighton, at last

And then, on Sunday, the run itself. This year marked 130 years since the original Emancipation Run of 1896, and every car taking part has to have been built before 1905.

We jumped into a taxi at 6am, got into central London, and went straight into the car. We set off from Hyde Park Corner at about half past seven, past Buckingham Palace, down Pall Mall, and right by the Houses of Parliament.

From there it was all the way down to Brighton, around 60 miles, and we finished at about two o’clock. Every street was lined. People were out bright and early, many of them dressed the part, and we were waving the entire way.

It was exhilarating, fun, and a bit nerve-wracking at times, to say the least. But the ending was phenomenal: hundreds of the most incredible cars you’ve ever seen. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life.

We filmed all of it for our YouTube channel, so you’ll be able to come along for the ride…

On to Valencia

My next marathon is Valencia on 6th December, again with Emma and Jack.

Even with a lot on my plate, I always make my runs work, and my long runs are always on a Sunday. If you ever see me doing 20 kilometres or more, you can be fairly sure it’s a Sunday.

After six hours in the De Dion-Bouton, I went to a yin and sound bath class to come back down to earth. And after Valencia, I promise I’m taking a couple of months off training! Perhaps not off running, mind you…I’ve totally fallen in love!

Thank you, as ever, for following along. It has been a full few weeks, and I’ve loved sharing every part of it with you.

Stately is nearly here, and I can’t wait to welcome you in.

With love and gratitude,

Julie x

What a few weeks it has been! Between waving off our Grand Historic Tours guests, a keynote in London, a few precious days in Italy, and a certain 26.2 miles through Amsterdam (!!!!), I’ve barely stopped. My legs are still quite tired, but I wanted to catch you up on all of it.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• The last few spots on Grand Historic Tours 2027

• A very special photoshoot for Stately

• Giving a keynote in London

• A mini break in Italy

• The Mapperton book, just in time for Christmas

• Running the Amsterdam Marathon with Emma and Jack

Let’s dive in!

Only three spots left on Grand Historic Tours

If you’ve been thinking about joining us on Grand Historic Tours, now is the moment. We have just three spots left, and I expect them to be gone by next week.

These are once-in-a-lifetime trips! And it’s SO FUN to host you!!

Our most recent tour has just come to an end, and saying goodbye to all the guests was happy, sad, and funny all at once!

It’s always the way when you’ve spent such wonderful days together.

Book your spot

A very special photo shoot

In the middle of the tour, we had a HUGE photo shoot. I can’t tell you what it’s for just yet, but I can tell you it will be one of the biggest features we’ve ever made for Stately.

Not only did ‘they’ kindly send hair and makeup, but we were photographed by Millie Pilkington, who has photographed the royal family, and it was such a privilege to work with her again!

Everyone involved is so excited about this one. Watch this space…

A keynote in London

As soon as the tour guests had gone, I headed up to London, where I was one of the keynote speakers at the Visitor Attractions Conference at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey! It’s the largest conference of its kind in the UK, so it was a real honour to be asked!

My talk was about ‘beyond physical visitors’ - preserving Britain’s finest house, Mapperton. I shared a little of the Sandwich family’s history, and then how Luke and I took over Mapperton in 2016.

When the pandemic arrived in 2020, we started our YouTube channel, and it has been so instrumental in getting us to where we are today. It has helped fund restoration work across the house, from the 18th-century eagles to the tapestries.

I also talked about American Countess, which has now been going for five years (can you believe it?!), and about our new home on Stately. It was wonderful to introduce everyone to Stately for the first time: a place for lovers of historic houses, period dramas, and all things royal.

The talk ended with a huge round of applause from an audience of about 400 people, and afterwards there was an enormous queue of people wanting to talk about digital, YouTube, and what we’re doing on Stately.

I stayed long after I’d finished, and I came away with some really good connections!

Curious about Stately?! Be one of the first in the door when you fill out the Join List!

Join Stately

A little bit of Italy

After the tour, I headed to Italy for a five-day mini break, just for a little bit of fun.

(And work, of course!)

Naturally, I filmed lots of Julie in Italy videos while I was there. That channel sits apart from Stately; it’s simply a fun hobby of mine, and I’d love for you to come along if you haven’t subscribed yet.

Watch Julie in Italy

The Mapperton book makes a wonderful gift

With Christmas coming up, I wanted to mention the Mapperton book again. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves history, houses, or gardens, I’d be thrilled if you thought of it.

Find it on Amazon and all good bookshops across the world!

I ran the Amsterdam Marathon!

And finally, I JUST ran the Amsterdam Marathon, finishing in an official time of 4:06:52. I’m absolutely thrilled! It was incredible!

I won’t pretend it was easy, around 28k I thought to myself… what am I doing?!, but once I reached the last 10k, I knew I could finish.

Emma and Jack were running ahead of me, and they both finished too, in amazing times! After all those months of training, crossing that line as a family meant the world to me, and I couldn’t be prouder of them!

Next up: Valencia, Spain on the 6th December…. yes, in seven weeks time… yes, I have the marathon bug!

As always, thank you for reading and for being here. These past few weeks have been full in every sense, and I’m so grateful to be able to share them with you.

With love and gratitude, Julie

What a fortnight it has been. Our BIG secret project (Stately…shhhhhhh) has opened its doors to our first residents, the West Room has reached its goal, and somewhere in between I found myself in a hat at Highgrove and very nearly running out of tissues on a drive to Oxford.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• Stately is open (to our first residents)

• My book, and twenty-two five-star reviews

• The West Room scarves are at the mill

• An hour and a half with the Bayeux Tapestry

• A garden party at Highgrove

• Countdown to Amsterdam

• Officially empty NESTORS (wow wow wow)

Let’s dive in!

Stately is open!

After months of planning, building, and testing, Stately had its soft launch last week, and our wonderful Patrons from Mapperton Live! and the Countess of Sandwich Society were the first to walk through the doors.

If you haven’t heard me talk about it yet, Stately is our virtual stately home. Everything that used to be scattered across Substack, Patreon, and social media now lives in one place: the official episodes, the Gilded Heiress articles (published early!) the live videos, the Q&As with Luke and me…

…AND new things like the pub quizzes, the hangouts, travel guides, and a feed full of behind-the-scenes moments you won’t find anywhere else.

Our founding residents have their own badges showing the year they first joined us, and there’s a peerage ladder to climb as you take part. I’m so pleased with how it has all come together, and I’m enormously grateful to the team who made it happen.

Nearly 2,500 of you have already joined the list. We open the doors to everyone on 16 November, and if you’re on the join list, you’ll get in 48 hours early, along with plenty of news from us between now and then.

And if you’re a Patron who didn’t get your link to join, please email hello@stately.club. We’ll sort you out!

Join Stately!

Twenty-two five-star reviews

My book has had the most wonderful start! There are now twenty-two 5-star reviews on Amazon, and I’ve popped one of my favourites below so you can see what readers are saying.

Thank you to every one of you who has bought it, read it, and taken the time to review it. It means more than I can say.

And with Christmas on its way (I know, already!), I think it makes a rather good present. If there’s someone on your list who would love it, I’d be so grateful. You can find my book on Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, Amazon and more!

The scarves are at the mill

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who ordered a West Room scarf. We hit our goal, and the scarves have now gone off to the mill in Italy.

We should have them back in about a month, and the moment they arrive, they’ll be in the post to you.

Because of you, the West Room will be transformed with hand-painted silk wallpaper and gorgeous textiles from Gainsborough Silks in Suffolk. We’re open to the public until the end of October, and then it’s straight into our Christmas market, so the work itself will most likely begin in the new year. I’ll be documenting every step of it over on our Mapperton channel. And keep reading, as I wore my pocket square when dropping off Nestor to University of Oxford - photo further down.

Watch Mapperton Live

An hour and a half with the Bayeux Tapestry

I was lucky enough to see the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, and it took my breath away.

They tell you it will take 40 minutes. It doesn’t. It takes an hour and a half, because you are inching your way along 230 feet of it, trying to take in every stitch, while being gently reminded to keep moving.

I recorded the whole visit live, moment by moment, for Stately. If you’d like to come round with me, make sure you’re on the join list.

Get on the Stately List

A garden party at Highgrove

I also had the honour of going to the Highgrove garden party with Rory Hutton (the talent behind our West room scarves!). It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the gardens were spectacular.

I took the train from London to Kemble, where the King’s Foundation had a coach waiting to take us on to Highgrove. You could spot the garden party guests a mile off, because most of us were wearing hats (and yes, I wore a hat).

For the very first time, the King opened up the ground floor of Highgrove: five rooms of his own living quarters. And when I say it was lived in, it was lived in. There were family photographs everywhere, sensational textiles from the Far East, treasures he has brought back from his travels, and even little touches that recalled Princess Diana.

We couldn’t bring in our phones, but wonderful, talented Courtney (who also photographed our scarves here at Mapperton!) was the official photographer — and trust me when I say I took plenty with Rory. I’ll post those in the next newsletter once they are sent to me.

Rory and I, however, recorded a voice note about our day, almost a little podcast, and you’ll find it over on Stately when the doors open. So again, be sure to get on the Stately Join List!

Countdown to Amsterdam

I’m now just under two weeks away from the Amsterdam Marathon on 18 October.

Last week I ran 33 kilometres, which surprised me, because I was fairly sure it would finish me off. Instead it turned out to be my best ever 33k, averaging five minutes and fifty seconds per kilometre. For someone like me, that’s a time I’m really pleased with. Fingers crossed all goes to plan in 12 days time!

Officially empty Nestors

And to top it all off, we dropped Nestor off to start at the University of Oxford.

Can you believe it!?

It was a bittersweet moment. Luke and I are now officially empty Nestors (no pun intended!). It was a wonderful day full of emotion, and off he goes for the next three years — however, he’ll have to get used to his mom visiting often!

Thank you, as always, for being here and for sharing all of this with me. Whether you’ve bought a scarf, read the book, or joined us in Stately, your support means the world, and I can’t wait to welcome more of you in November!

With love and gratitude,

Julie

Hello everybody! This is THE big announcement. AHHHHH!!!

As you know, Luke and I have been quietly building since the spring.

I haven’t said much about it here, but now I cannot keep it to myself for a second longer.

You know how much I love this world. The great houses. The period dramas we all secretly rewatch. The royal history, the glamour, the scandal, the sheer beauty of it all. For months now, Luke and our brilliant team have been building a place where all of that lives under one roof. A home for people like us, and like you.

Here’s something I have noticed. So many of us ALSO adore this world, the sweeping staircases, the portraits, the gardens, the drama of it all, and yet most of the time we are pressing our noses against the glass. You watch the show. You visit once a year if you are lucky. You read the book. But you cannot quite get inside, not really, not the way you long to.

That is exactly the feeling Luke and I set out to fix. What if you didn’t have to wait for a rare open day, or a plane ticket across the ocean? What if this world could come to you, wherever you are, whenever you like?

Introducing Stately

It’s a new online members club and community celebrating Britain’s historic houses, royal history, aristocratic traditions and period drama, launching this November. Stately gives you the chance to go behind the scenes of some of the country’s most glorious homes, and to meet the people who keep them flourishing in the twenty-first century.

Think of it as the new online home for anyone captivated by Britain’s great houses, and the stories, people and traditions around them. Royal history. Aristocratic life. The glamour and the etiquette. Even the locations made famous by film and television.

Luke and I are hosting it ourselves, and we will bring our members closer to this extraordinary world through exclusive content, online events, and a genuinely vibrant community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Daily posts on stately news, royal history and period drama recaps

• Original films, made with exclusive access to a handful of carefully chosen historic houses, taking you behind the scenes with the families, custodians, historians and experts working to preserve these remarkable properties for future generations

• Weekly episodes from Mapperton, celebrating the joys (and the challenges) of keeping our own historic estate standing

• Monthly episodes of American Countess, which Stately members will see first, before anyone else, as I visit friends and other owners of great houses across the UK

And then there are the online events. Monthly pub quizzes, symposiums, expert talks, cook alongs and seasonal workshops, all giving you the chance to learn, ask questions and share the experience, without leaving your own sofa. There will be chats and team challenges too (yes, including that monthly pub quiz), the kind of thing that turns a shared passion into a genuine friendship.

Whether you dream of exploring a country house, live for royal history, adore a good period drama, or simply love the beauty and the stories of Britain’s historic places, Stately is built to bring that world to you, wherever home happens to be.

Some of you have been reading this newsletter for years, and I would love nothing more than to have you be first through the door when it opens in November.

Join here

This is going to be the trip of a lifetime, and I cannot wait to have you along for it.

With love,
Julie x

There is something happening behind the scenes at the moment that I’m not quite allowed to tell you about yet, and it has had me looking backwards rather than forwards. So forgive me a small moment of reflection before I get to the news, because I think you’ll want to know how we arrived here!

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• How we got here, and where we’re going next

• The book is in my hands

• Down to the last hundred scarves

• Dropping William in Paris

• Two marathons, which is possibly one too many

• Dinners of Diplomacy

Let’s dive in!

How we got here, and where we’re going next

It began, improbably, with Ladies of London. That programme gave me a platform, and I used it to show the world Mapperton and the history sitting inside it. And yes, if asked to do it all over again - absolutely.

Because in 2017, just after season three had finished airing, someone at the BBC who had been watching LOL picked up the phone. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged, the public didn’t know yet, and I was not allowed to breathe a word.

They came down to Mapperton and interviewed me about what life might be like for an American girl marrying into this world.

From that one small snippet came May 2018, and there I was covering the royal wedding exclusively for BBC. And from that, someone at the Smithsonian Channel saw me commenting. By 2019 I was filming at some of the most incredible stately houses in the UK. And when the pandemic made filming all but impossible, Luke, Victoria (our series producer), and I decided that we would simply do it ourselves.

American Countess YouTube launched in 2021, on the back of the success of our Mapperton Live! YouTube channel in 2020.

The former allowed me to continue showcasing great houses via incredible, BBC-quality documentary productions, and the latter brought Mapperton to your screens…the good, the bad, and the water leaks!

Somewhere in the middle of all that I did a Master’s in Country House Studies, which is where Alberta properly took hold of me, and I started sharing that research with you across YouTube, Instagram, and Substack.

The Patreon communities for both American Countess and Mapperton Live! have now been growing steadily for more than five years, with THOUSANDS of subscribers.

Which brings me to the part I can’t quite tell you about.

We are bringing all of it together—every platform, every audience—into one online home. Yes, there will still be the YouTube channels, substack, social media platforms BUT… THIS will be oh so much more!

We’ve had our eyes on doing this for years now, but we didn’t have all of the pieces in place to make it possible until about a year ago. Yes, that’s how long we’ve been working on this!

This new platform will let us expand not only how much we make, but the kinds of things we can make. And best of all, it means you’ll be able to talk to one another: people across a dozen countries sharing their love of great houses, period dramas, and all things royal.

Our Patrons got the news a couple of weeks ago, and they’ll be the first through the doors. Luke and I had a LIVE Q&A with them on Sunday, and they are thrilled - to say the least! Do stay close for the public announcement…

The book is in my hands

My advance copies have arrived, and I genuinely was not prepared for how it would feel to hold one.

Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton publishes on 24th September, which is now close enough to be counted in days rather than weeks.

Preorder the book!

And a happy change for those of you who have already pre-ordered.

You were promised three free months of Mapperton Live!. You’ll now be getting three free months of the new platform instead—which, as I say, is rather more than Mapperton Live! It’s historic houses (including ours!), period dramas and all things royal wrapped up under one roof. Anglophiles…. you will absolutely LOVE what we’ve created for you!

Down to the last hundred scarves

The Rory Hutton x Mapperton silk scarves and pocket squares are down to their final hundred.

Every penny of profit goes into restoring the West Room, and I’ll say again what I said last time: there is no second printing waiting in the wings. When they’ve gone, they’ve gone.

Shop the Collection

And if a scarf isn’t where you are right now, the smaller ways in are still open, and they matter every bit as much.

Choose your way in

William in Paris

A week ago we were in France, delivering our number three child, William, to Sciences Po.

He’s reading international politics for the year, with every one of his courses taught in French! I am enormously proud and slightly winded by it in equal measure.

He is very rather far away, which I’m reliably told gets easier.

Two marathons, which is possibly one too many

I have somehow ended up with two marathons in the diary. One on 18th October, and then Valencia on 6th December.

I accept that this is slightly mad.

So I have been running a great deal. Yesterday, I ran my second-fastest half marathon, and I am rather pleased with myself about it.

One last thing: Dinners of Diplomacy

The Countess of Derby is hosting Dinners of Diplomacy at Knowsley Hall, and Luke and I will be there!

If you can’t join in person, there’s a digital delegate pass that brings the whole thing to you.

Book your pass

Thank you, as ever, for being here.

Five years is a long time to keep turning up for someone’s letters about a Dorset house, and I don’t take a single one of you for granted.

There is a great deal coming. I can’t wait to show you.

With love and gratitude,
Julie x

I am going LIVE tonight on my YouTube channel at 16:00 EST, which is 21:00 here in the UK, and this one has been a long time coming.

For months now I have been working with a brilliant team on something new. A company, properly built, for people who love historic houses, period dramas and all things royal. I have wanted to tell you since about February and have had to sit on my hands.

I am still not able to say too much but I am going to explain who it is for, which is very much you.

I will also have both scarves with me. I want to go through the twelve motifs one at a time, because each of them has a story and I have never talked about them properly. My pink swimming cap being, inevitably, the one people ask about most. Plus, I’ll be sharing some ways that I wear both of them (every single day!).

And then a subject I find much harder, which is my book. Secrets of an English Country House is out on 24 September. There is a stack of them sitting in my kitchen and I keep walking past and pretending not to look. Can’t quite believe it!

Finally, if there is time, two marathons this year and another next year. I have no sensible explanation for this and I am not going to attempt one.

Come and join me. It is much nicer with you there!

Join me here!

Julie x

Last Monday we did something I have been building towards for the best part of six months, and I am still slightly reeling from it. I have been longing to tell you properly, rather than in snatches, so here it is.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• The West Room, and what sixty years looks like

• How we’re paying for it

• If a scarf isn’t where you are right now

• What happens next

• One thing I’m saving for another day

Let’s dive in!

The West Room, and what sixty years looks like

If you missed the film, it’s here, and I would love you to watch it. In it I take you into the West Room, a bedroom at Mapperton that has not been touched in more than sixty years.

Watch now!

I want to be honest about what that actually means, because “not been touched” sounds rather romantic…and it isn’t.

The same curtains have hung at those windows since before the moon landing. They are bleached pale down one side where six decades of Dorset sun has got at them, and the pelmets are so water stained that you can hardly make out the lovely silk design.

There’s an 18th century daybed in the corner that nobody has sat on properly in living memory as the silk has shredded. The whole room has simply been waiting for somebody to say right, it’s your turn.

So it’s your turn.

If we raise the funds, the West Room gets hand-painted silk wallpaper. Damask blinds and upholstery, woven in England on looms that have been making cloth for centuries. Fresh paint. And that poor daybed reupholstered at last.

How we’re paying for it

I’ve spent months working with the wonderful designer Rory Hutton on a limited run silk scarf and pocket square, drawn entirely from Mapperton itself. Rory has created collections for the Royal Collection Trust, the V&A, Westminster Abbey and Highgrove, and I still can’t quite believe he said yes to us.

Look closely at the design and you’ll find twelve motifs hidden in it, one for every chapter of my life as the 12th Countess of Sandwich. There are peacocks. There’s Alberta Montagu’s House of Worth gown. There’s the tiara I wore at our wedding. And a Sandwich with a capital S, of course.

There’s even my pink swimming cap which I created myself (with the help of Rory ofc), which I’m told is now famous whether I like it or not.

Twelve motifs. Twelfth Countess. Neither of us noticed until the whole thing was finished!

Explore the Collection

Every penny of profit goes into that room.

And I should be clear about the scale of this, because I think it matters. We’re talking several hundred scarves, not thousands. This isn’t a run that quietly gets topped up when it sells out, and there is no second printing waiting in the wings. When they’ve gone, they’ve gone, and that really is the end of it.

If a scarf isn’t where you are right now

Quite a few of you have said, kindly and honestly, that it’s beyond what you can spend at the moment. I completely understand, and I would much rather you told me than quietly felt bad about it.

So there are smaller ways in, and they matter just as much:

$5: a personalised certificate saying you helped make it happen, framed by all twelve of Rory’s motifs

$25: the certificate, plus a digital wallpaper of the full scarf design for your phone and desktop

$50: the certificate, the wallpaper, and all twelve motifs as individual digital stickers

Choose your way in!

What happens next

I’m meeting the wallpaper studio, de Gournay, in September, and I fully expect to be useless for days afterwards from the sheer excitement of it.

The fabric people, Gainsborough Silks, are coming to Mapperton so we can go through samples together at the actual windows, in the actual light, which is the only sensible way to choose anything.

I’ll be filming all of it. The good decisions and the ones I change my mind about twice or even five times!

Be a part of the Mapperton story here

One thing I’m saving for another day

There is one more thing I’ve been holding back. Those old silk curtains aren’t going anywhere near a skip. They’re being given a second life as something rather lovely.

But that deserves its own newsletter, so I’ll tell you properly another time…

When the West Room is finished, one scarf will be framed and hung on its wall, permanently! So that when visitors stand in that room in 50 years’ time, the story they’re told isn’t only about the earls and countesses who slept there, or the families who’ve been here five hundred years.

It’s about the people who brought it back.

Thank you for being one of them!

With love and gratitude,

Julie x

I’ll start this newsletter with a big AHHHHHHH!!!!

Because….. THE DOORS ARE OPEN! The Rory Hutton x Mapperton silk scarves are officially here, and I have been counting down to this moment.

In 1962, Country Life came to Mapperton House and photographed the West Room. It is a beautiful image. Grand, still, a little formal in the way those pictures always were.

Now look at the curtains.

Those are the same curtains hanging in that room this morning. At least sixty four years later, and very possibly a great deal longer, because all the photograph proves is that they were already there in 1962. They are sun bleached down one side, pelmets water stained, and holding on out of sheer good manners.

The West Room has simply been waiting. Waiting through a good many leaks, and more than six decades of Dorset light doing what Dorset light does.

I would rather like to stop it waiting.

Here is the plan, and I promise it is a good one. If we can raise the funds, the walls will be hung with de Gournay wallpaper. I have a meeting with de Gournay in September, and I may not sleep much beforehand! Gainsborough Silks are coming to Mapperton to sit down with me and go through fabrics, which means the new curtains and the upholstery will be woven properly, in England. There will be a new, bold colour of paint, and a rather lovely old duchesse brisée that has been longing for new life.

And no, the old silk is not going anywhere near a skip. It is being made into cushions, and one or two other things I am very excited about, but that is a story for another newsletter.

So that is the dream. Now the fun part!

I have teamed up with the brilliant textile designer Rory Hutton to create a limited edition silk scarf and pocket square, drawn entirely from Mapperton itself. Our family crest. The Rococo ceiling. King Charles II chair. An Earl’s coronet. A Sandwich. Our family Tiara. Alberta’s House of Worth dress. THE Peacock.

Twelve motifs in all, which I did not plan and only noticed later, given that I am the twelfth Countess of Sandwich.

Every penny of profit goes into the West Room.

Once they are gone, that is the end of it.

The scarf is £200, the pocket square £100, or you can take both for £260 and save £40.

The Collection is now LIVE!

I would so love you to be part of this one. Not watching it happen, part of it.

With love, Julie x

P.S. One scarf will be framed and hung in the restored West Room. So that when visitors come, the story of that room is not only about the history of the room and the family who lived in it. It is about you, and how you brought it back.

Order a Piece of History!

A very special edition from me… and one on Monday too because one of the greatest days of my life just happened at Mapperton, and I am not even being dramatic.

We spent the whole day, morning until night, running around this incredible house with the most wonderful dream team, shooting the Rory Hutton x Mapperton silk scarves. I genuinely do not know how we got through everything we did, but we did, and it was joyful and hilarious and beautiful, and I am still buzzing.

Over fifteen shots. Twelve motifs, styled every which way across both the 90x90 scarf and the 45x45 pocket square. Some of them are giving Where’s Wally and I am here for it. From the Sandwich to the swimming cap, to the eagles, to the peacock, to the Alberta House of Worth dress, every single motif tells a story. A Mapperton story. Your story.

And here is the thing that stopped us all in our tracks. We counted the motifs, and there are twelve. I am the 12th Countess of Sandwich. We had no idea until that very moment. Go figure.

I have popped a few of my own behind-the-scenes photos below. They are the giddy, unpolished, this-is-actually-happening ones. The professional photography lands on Monday, when we open the doors.

Here is the important bit.

This is a limited edition. When the doors open on Monday, everyone on the waitlist gets first access. If you are already on the list, you are on it, no need to sign up again or submit anything twice. You are in, and you will be first in line.

If you are not on the waitlist yet and you want one of these scarves, please do add your name now.

Join the Waitlist

I cannot promise a scarf to anyone who is not on the list. Once they are gone, they are gone, and I have a feeling these will not be around for long.

I will be wearing this scarf for the rest of my life. And I hope you will too.

More on Monday. I can hardly wait!

Julie x

What a whirlwind these past weeks have been. Between filming, a rather special live interview, and a house full of Nestor’s friends from every corner of Europe, I have scarcely had a moment to sit down…though I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is so much I have been longing to tell you.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

• An evening I’ll never forget

• Dinners of Diplomacy

• The scarves go on sale!

• A little book news

• A tiny tease of what’s coming

Let’s dive in!

An evening I’ll never forget

Last week I had the great honour of sitting down, live, with the Countess of Derby (affectionately known as Cazzy by her friends and family) and I’ll admit I was a little nervous beforehand! There is such a wonderful poise about her, and from the moment she appeared, she had the whole room in the palm of her hand!

Nearly a hundred of you joined us, and the hour simply flew by!

Our subject was General Cornwallis, one of history’s most misunderstood figures, and a man Lady Derby happens to descend from. She has made it her mission to reframe a reputation that history has treated rather unfairly, and she shared some genuinely new research: fresh detail about the illness that gripped Cornwallis at the surrender at Yorktown, and the story of a private meeting with George Washington, a moment that says so much about diplomacy and civility once the fighting is done.

We wandered from the truly global nature of the American Revolutionary War to the role of the French and the delicate business of handing over power, and your questions at the end were an absolute joy. If the evening left me with one thought, it was how much history still has to teach us about reconciliation and truth.

The whole conversation is now up on Patreon, so do go and watch, and cosy in.

Watch FREE on Patreon

Dinners of Diplomacy

Lady Derby is also about to host a wonderful event, Dinners of Diplomacy, taking these same themes further with a marvellous line-up of expert speakers.

If you can’t be there in person, the Two-Day Digital Delegate Pass brings the whole thing to you: every session streamed live, a live Q&A, a sixty-day replay, a digital archive pack and a certificate to round it all off. Early-bird pricing runs until 1 September, so do be quick if you fancy it.

Get your Pass

You can explore all of Lady Derby’s work, including her podcast, books and so much more on her website:

Countess of Derby Website

The scarves go on sale!

And a date for your diary: our Rory Hutton x Mapperton silk scarves finally go on sale on Monday 10th August!

I have been longing to share these with you!

Each one carries the motifs from the house that I love most, and because it is such a limited run, once they’re gone, they really are gone. Do get yourself on the waitlist so you’re first through the door on Monday.

Join the Waitlist

A little book news

I have been talking about my book rather a lot lately, filming reels and popping up in your feeds, and I make no apologies for it! I am so proud of this one, and every single pre-order has meant more to me than I can say.

If you haven’t reserved your copy yet, there is still time, and it truly does make all the difference.

Pre-Order

A tiny tease of what’s coming

I have been hinting at a huge project for a while now, and I am still keeping my lips firmly sealed! But I can give you the smallest peek at what it involves.

Think loving recaps of every past season of your favourite period dramas, and conversations with some of Britain’s most extraordinary historic houses…the sort of thing I have always dreamed of bringing together in one place.

Our Patrons will be the very first to know in September, with a public launch to follow.

So do stay close: follow along on Instagram, keep subscribed here and perhaps forward this to a friend who wouldn’t want to miss it.

A new home for our textiles

From September, I’ll be moving our textile boxes out of the West Room and into their new space in the house, which feels like a lovely milestone.

And there’s something rather exciting on the horizon: we have a meeting booked with De Gournay on 14th September about the West Room itself. More on that very soon...

Training again

I’m full steam ahead for the Amsterdam Marathon on 18th October. This past week I ran almost 30k, with another 16k this weekend, and I’m really in the swing of it now.

The runs only get longer from here, which is, quite frankly, a killer, but I’m loving every mile.

As always, thank you, truly, for being here, for reading and for cheering me on through the busiest and most exciting of seasons. There is so much unfolding just beneath the surface, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.

With love and gratitude,

xxJulie

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Today, I am going live with the Countess of Derby for Countesses in Conversation, and I do hope you will join us. Two countesses, one American and one English, spilling the tea on General Cornwallis, the surrender at Yorktown, and the birth of modern America. As we mark America’s 250th year, there is no better story to tell.

Here are the details one more time:

• Today, Sunday 2 August

• 6PM UK / 1PM ET / 10AM PT

• Live on Zoom, and completely free

Join us here

And do tell me: are you coming? I have popped a quick poll below so I know who to expect and can save you the best virtual seat in the house. Hope to see you later!

With love, Julie

Hello friends,

I have something rather special for you.

On Sunday 2 August, I am sitting down, live on Zoom, with the Countess of Derby, for a conversation I have been longing to have. Two countesses, one American and one English, having a proper natter about the moment our nations went their separate ways. Call it Countesses in Conversation, and yes, we fully intend to spill the tea.

Here is what makes it so very exciting. Lady Derby is not telling this story from the outside. She is a direct descendant of General Charles Cornwallis, the British commander whose surrender at Yorktown marked the turning point of the American Revolution. History remembers him as the coward who failed to attend his own defeat. The truth, as ever, is far more interesting. A man who once sympathised with the colonists, who opposed the Stamp Act, and who, in a quiet tent, speaking fluent French, may have begun a tradition of the peaceful transfer of power that still echoes in the Oval Office today.

As we mark America’s 250th year, I can think of no better moment to look back at how it all began. Not as a tale of defeat and division, but of diplomacy and reinvention.

Do join us, and it is free. Simply sign up through my Patreon, Countess of Sandwich Society, and I will send you the link. Open to all Mapperton Live! and American Countess patrons, both paid and free.

• Sunday 2 August

• 6PM UK / 1PM ET / 10AM PT

• Live on Zoom

• Free, with sign-up via Patreon

See you on the 2nd of August!

xxJulie

Well, I feel as though I haven’t spoken to you in an age, and it has only been a couple of weeks! The past fortnight has been gloriously intense: family, a grand opening, a rather heartbreaking football match, and finally a few precious days to breathe by the sea. I’ve arrived home with my head full and my heart fuller, and there is so much to share.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

· A grand opening at Disneyland (yes, really!)
· Cheering on England
· Falling head over heels for Laguna Beach
· A little peek at our biggest project yet
· Back to a very full Mapperton
· Getting married at Mapperton
· Book news
· A first look at our scarf designs

Let’s dive in!

A Grand Opening at Disneyland

After a few precious days in San Diego visiting family, we whisked all four children off to Disneyland, because Luke had a ribbon to cut!

He officially opened the enormous new Earl of Sandwich restaurant, cutting the ribbon with the biggest pair of scissors I have ever seen, alongside Mickey Mouse and Earl of Sandwich’s owner, Robert Earl.

There was so much press for Luke: television journalists, influencers, the lot! So I happily slipped behind the scenes to film it all for our YouTube channel, with Luke mic’d up throughout.

You’ll even catch him tasting his favourite sandwich, which is not the one you might expect.

Hint: it is not the original roast beef the 4th Earl is said to have eaten…but you’ll have to wait for YouTube to find out which it is!

Mapperton Live on YouTube

Cheering on England

While we were at Disneyland, we all watched the England match together, every one of us in our England shirts, children included!

With just five minutes left in regular time, we truly thought we were on the verge of the final…and then Argentina scored, and scored again...boohoo!

The children had managed a couple of rides at the Park before the grand opening, so at least the park wasn’t wasted, but by the final whistle we were all rather deflated and not quite in the mood for rollercoasters.

Falling Head over Heels for Laguna Beach

As it happened, the day of the match was also Emma’s birthday (!!!), so we were determined not to let it end on a low note, and off we went to Laguna Beach.

I had never been before, and I have to say, we fell completely in love with it. If you haven’t been, I urge you to go.

We stayed at Le Petit Palais, which was outstanding: decorated so exquisitely that every single piece in the room felt thoughtfully chosen. We arrived on Wine Wednesday (half-price rosé, no less!) and sat outside with a glass while our room was made ready, then celebrated Emma’s birthday at a lovely Mexican restaurant.

The next day was pure holiday: Main Beach, beach volleyball, the boys kicking a football about, and (can you believe it?!) everybody ran. It was even Nestor’s very first run, and he says he’s committed now! Emma, Jack and I are training for the Amsterdam Marathon in October, so the miles are certainly adding up.

We ended our short stay with the most delicious sushi. Two days was all we had, but I loved every minute: the little main street, the sweet shops, the good coffee, and above all the chance to properly switch off.

A Little Peek at our Biggest Project Yet

Back in the world of work, Luke and I, together with a truly fantastic team, are pressing on with the biggest project we have ever taken on. It’s the reason so much of the past two weeks has been filled with meetings, all of us working to get it over the line.

I can’t say much yet, but I can tell you this: our Patrons will be the very first to know in September, with a public launch to follow in November.

(I can also say that I’m not at all exaggerating how big this is. We’ve already been working on it nearly full time for MONTHS, and it won’t be launching for a few months still! It’s like nothing you’ve seen before!)

So do keep your eyes and ears peeled, make sure you’re following along on Instagram and subscribed here, and perhaps send this newsletter to a friend who wouldn’t want to miss it.

And if you’re not a Patron yet, get in there now so that you get a bit of special treatment when the time comes:

Join Patreon

Back to a Very Full Mapperton

And just like that, I’m home, arriving back to a week that is quite bursting at the seams!

On Thursday I’ll be filming all day for Saving Country Houses, Season Two.

We’re also taking on the renovation of another cottage here at Mapperton, Coltleigh Hill House.

Malcolm (everyone’s favourite!) comes down on Tuesday so we can measure up and start choosing paint colours, all of it captured for our YouTube channel, of course.

Getting Married at Mapperton

A little something for the romantics: if you’ve ever dreamed of getting married at Mapperton, you may not know that we host around 20 weddings a year.

Not only did Luke and I get married at Mapperton but we filmed our very first wedding video during lockdown, when we’d lost all our visitor income and every wedding besides.

I’ll always be fond of it, but it’s looking a touch dated now.

So we’re filming a brand-new one, and yes, I’m in it!

Get married at Mapperton

Book News

A quick and rather thrilling update: pre-sales for my book have been absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

If you haven’t ordered yet, do consider reserving your copy. It truly means the world.

Pre-order now!

A First Look at our Scarf Designs!

And finally, the moment I’ve been longing to share: the scarf designs are here!

The navy is a pocket square (45x45), and the brilliant aqua is a 90x90, each woven with the motifs so many of you will recognise from the house.

The samples should arrive within the next two weeks, and we already have a photo shoot booked for 5 August. I’ll be wearing and styling them myself, with a wonderful photographer down from London, and Rory and Malcolm on hand too (filmed, naturally, for YouTube!).

As soon as those photos are back, the scarves will be available to buy. This is a very limited run, though, and once they’re gone, they’re gone, so do make sure you’re on the waitlist.

Join the Waitlist

As always, thank you, truly, for being here, for reading, and for cheering us on through the busiest and most exciting of seasons.

There is so much unfolding just beneath the surface, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.

With love and gratitude,

Xx Julie

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It has been one of those stretches where the cameras barely stop rolling! Between filming, a rather big project I’m keeping under wraps and a few precious days away, the summer has arrived in a whirl…and I couldn’t be more delighted with what’s coming. There is a lot to share, so let’s begin.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

· A first look at our Mapperton scarves (!!)

· Filming another season of… (wink wink)

· A project I can’t quite tell you about yet

· My little Italian house tour is live

· William’s 21st at Mapperton

· I finally got my copy of my book!

· Back into marathon training

· Heading to California

Let’s dive in!

A first look at our Mapperton scarves

I have promised to keep you close to this project, so here is the very first look at our Rory Hutton x Mapperton scarves.

There are two colourways. The navy is a pocket square 45x45, and the glorious aqua (I call it glorious because I simply love it) is a 90x90 with a signature gold border.

See how many Mapperton details you can spot—the peacocks, the eagles, the Rococo ceilings scrollwork, motifs from the 18th century dress (the stunning one with Lyon fabric circa 1730-1740) and Alberta’s House of Worth dress, the chair that Charles II sat in en route back from Holland to be crowned King ... for those of you who have visited, or watched us for years, or donated towards a restoration project will recognise immediately. And a few little surprises too.

The samples have gone off to Italy, and we should have them back in around ten days, which is absolutely brilliant!

This is a limited run, and I’ll be modelling for the photo shoot myself.

Doors are open to join the waitlist (we plan on shipping end of September / early October) but again this is LIMITED RUN, so once they are gone, they are gone.

Join the Waitlist!

Filming Saving Country Houses, Season Two

I’ve also been filming Saving Country Houses, Season Two, with Rory and Malcolm!

Much of it has been captured inside the house during our biggest restoration yet, and I can’t wait for you to see it.

More on that restoration—the West Room—over on the Mapperton Live! newsletter.

The Mapperton Live Newsletter

A project I can’t quite tell you about yet

Luke and I, along with our wonderful team, are working on something really rather exciting!

It’s taking up a great deal of my time, which is also why I’ve been so quiet on social media lately.

I simply haven’t had a moment to get on there.

I’ll be able to share it with our patrons in September, and then publicly in November. But I can promise you now that this is MASSIVE.

So stay tuned…

My little Italian house tour is live

After filming, Luke and I stole a few days in Italy.

We soaked in my little Italian house, spent time by the sea, and headed up to the mountains for a walk.

We ate extremely well and rested properly, which was much needed.

The little house is very nearly finished now, and I filmed an entire tour for you over on my Julie in Italy channel.

Watch Julie in Italy

William’s 21st at Mapperton

We celebrated William’s 21st here at Mapperton, and it couldn’t have gone better!

The theme was Saturday Night Fever, the guest list was over eighty, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

Everyone entered through the front of the house for a glass of fizz, then out into the gardens for wonderful canapés by Chef Joe (you may remember her as our chef for the Grand Historic Tours). From there we moved into the Coach House for a sit-down dinner.

A seven-piece band played for a couple of hours before the DJ took over, and I finally fell into bed at half past two in the morning!

I used flowers from the kitchen garden and the gardens throughout for the tablescapes and for big vases in the house.

It was SUCH an amazing night!

Secrets of an English Country Estate

It’s here. My actual, physical, real-life copy of Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton arrived today—and I held it in my hands and genuinely didn’t know what to do with myself.

Nearly two years of work. And now it’s a real book. With pages. And the most stunning photography and styling I have ever been part of. I keep picking it up and flicking through it just to look at it.

I cannot wait for you to have your own copy.

Do you have yours yet? If not, pre-order now—publication day is 24th September 2026 —and there are some very special goodies waiting for you when you do.

👉 Order here and claim your gifts

Back into marathon training

On a more personal note, I’ve properly upped my marathon training.

I’m now running three days a week, with spinning on top of that, and of course my two-hour yoga session each week.

It’s hard work, but the momentum is very much there and I can’t wait for Amsterdam! (or maybe I can…. eek!)

Heading home to California

And finally, we’re off to California this week!

I’ll be meeting up with my entire family in San Diego and all four children are coming too. We’ll be away for a week, and I just know that it will be SO special. We of course are hoping that England (sorry everyone, but with three boys firmly England fans, I’ve had to switch sides!) make it to the final of the World Cup while we’re over in the USA.

As always, thank you for reading and for being here. Even in the busiest of seasons, there is so much unfolding beneath the surface, and I’m so grateful to share it with you.

With love and gratitude,

Julie

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I had to write to you straight away, because I have just seen the final scarf design— and I am genuinely overwhelmed. It is phenomenal.

There are so many motifs woven into this design that many of you will instantly recognise from your time with us—through Mapperton, through YouTube, through every visit and every restoration you have supported—plus a few special details that are entirely new. I cannot wait for you to see it!

We are now deep into choosing colours. Rory, Malcolm and I are looking at three to four different colourways, and—here is the lovely part—these colours will also help guide the palette for the West Bedroom restoration itself. The scarf and the room are becoming part of the same story, in the truest sense.

Once we approve the colours, the sample will be sent to Italy to be made, and then it comes back to us for final approval before we move into full production. We are getting incredibly close now.

A quick note for those of you who have already joined the waitlist: thank you. We have had over 300 of you sign up, and you do not need to do anything further—we have you, and you will be the very first to know the moment the collection is ready to order.

If you have not yet joined, I would love for you to think of it almost like placing your name down for a preorder. This will be a true limited run! And once they are gone, they are gone.

Join the waitlist here

This project has become something I am so deeply proud of. It represents my time here at Mapperton, the history of this house, and—just as much—it represents all of you. So many of you have been part of the Mapperton story for years now, whether through watching us grow on YouTube, visiting in person, or supporting the restorations that have brought this house back to life piece by piece. This scarf carries all of that with it.

Thank you for being part of it.

With so much love,

Julie x

A quick, slightly overwhelmed update from me.

The pre-orders for Secrets of an English Country House have come in faster than any of us expected—so much so that my publisher has already gone back to print more copies as you know. Here’s what Alice (commissioning editor) told me:

“Julie, it’s been incredible to see such a strong wave of pre-orders coming in – your community has really shown up in the most wonderful way. We’ve already printed more copies in response, and we’ve no doubt this will be a must-have Christmas gift. This level of early support is so important, helping more readers discover both the book and the story of Mapperton.”

I wanted you to hear that directly, because none of it happens without you.

If you’ve been waiting to pre-order—or are still deciding—here’s a small taste of what’s inside. No one who built Mapperton ever agreed on what it should look like, and 500 years later, you can still see the argument: Tudor ceilings, a Georgian front bolted on top, Arts and Crafts flourishes added later by someone who clearly liked texture. Every generation simply overruled the last, and somehow it all still stands.

I used to think “authentic” meant one period, perfectly preserved. Living here taught me it means every layer left visible—arguments and all. That’s the house I tried to capture in this book.

Pre-order here

Pre-order before 23 September and you’ll receive:

• A signed bookplate

• 3 months free Mapperton Live! membership

• A Christmas card from Luke and me

Given what my publisher just told me, I’d love for this to land in even more homes before the holidays. If you’ve been on the fence, this is the moment.

With love, xx Julie

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Well, what a stretch it has been! I’ve spent dawn-til-dusk days in one of the most beautiful gardens in the country with soil under my nails, celebrated a garden seven years in the making, stood in front of the most breathtaking royal clothes I’ve ever seen, and somehow packed more into a single Wednesday than feels entirely reasonable. Pour yourself something and settle in…there’s a lot to share!

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

· The Rory Hutton x Mapperton collection

· A little book reminder

· My apprenticeship at Newby Hall

· Inside Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe

· A historic houses weekend in Wiltshire

· A certain series…

· My most chaotic day yet

· Another marathon?!

Let’s dive in!

The Rory Hutton x Mapperton collection is here!

I teased this last time, and now I can finally share it: we’re working with the award-winning designer Rory Hutton on a strictly limited-edition silk scarf and pocket square, with every penny raised going towards the restoration of the West Room!

Tudor overmantel, mullion windows, Georgian sash windows. It’s one of Mapperton’s most loved spaces, and one in urgent need of renovation.

This is the new ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ in which you get something beautiful back!

Rory hand-illustrates and then lino cuts each design in his studio before it’s printed onto silk by artisans in Italy, and for this collection he’s woven the iconic heritage of Mapperton into something truly collectible. What’s on it so far…. the 18th Century Eagles of course, the Peacock from the 18th century tapestry, my frill swim cap and so much more plus a surprise motif that I’m making myself (under Rory’s instruction) later this week! He’s worked with the Royal Collection Trust, the V&A, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey and The King at Highgrove—so you can imagine how special this is.

Here are a couple examples of his work:

The scarf is £200, the pocket square £100, or both together for £260. It’s a strictly limited run! Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Join the waitlist to see the design before anyone else and be first to pre-order.

Get on the waitlist!

And while I have you…the book!

A quick update! The pre-orders for Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton continue to mean the world to me, and—as I shared last time—they’re the very reason I’ve just signed for a second book.

If you’ve been meaning to order, now really is a wonderful moment.

Preorder now!

I was an apprentice!

Last time I told you I was off to Newby Hall and Gardens in my boiler suit, with a Thursday surprise I was saving.

Here it is: I spent the week there on what was, in essence, an apprenticeship, and it was every bit as exceptional as I’d hoped.

Lucinda and Richard Compton could not have been more generous, putting me up in the Hall itself—a glorious Christopher Wren and Robert Adam house, filled with extraordinary Chippendale furniture.

My days began at 8am in the gardens with the head gardener, Lawrence, and his team. I learned how to garden properly—my knowledge of weeds, in particular, has expanded no end!—and helped prepare for the reopening of the Edwardian rock garden, built by Richard’s great-great-grandfather. Tea breaks in the mess room with the whole team were some of my favourite moments of all.

I’m now managing Mapperton’s Italianate formal gardens, so I came home with a head full of ideas I can’t wait to put into practice.

And the reason for all that preparation: the rock garden’s grand reopening, seven years in the making—nine, if you count two years of Covid. The night before, we had a small dinner in Newby’s gorgeous orangery: lobster, salmon and beef, my idea of surf and turf, with the very best conversation. Lawrence, it turns out, is not only a brilliant head gardener but a gifted florist too, and his flowers on the table were simply incredible.

The next day was the proper celebration. It was a reception with canapés in the statue gallery for some 100 to 150 guests: journalists, friends of the Comptons, and well-wishers who’d come from far and wide. Gyles Brandreth did the honours, cutting the garland to officially reopen the rock garden. Plus, Stephane Jarvis and Philip from Chateau Diaries were there as well and before you ask: of course we filmed together for our respective YouTube channels!

What a week!

I saw the Queen’s clothes!

And straight after that week, I spent a morning at the King’s Gallery for Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, and I’m still thinking about it. Even with a booked ticket there was a queue out of the door, and the moment I stepped inside I understood exactly why.

The Royal Christening Robe, commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841 and worn by every royal baby for 130 years. Norman Hartnell’s wedding dress, with its thirteen-foot train inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera. The coronation dress, embroidered with the floral emblems of every nation over which she reigned. I stood in front of each one rather overcome.

I’ve written all about it over on my Substack—do go and read it, and then get yourself a ticket. The exhibition has been so popular it’s been extended all the way to April 2027.

Gilded Heiresses

Inside Queen Elizabeth II's Wardrobe

Honestly, I should have known. Even with a booked ticket, there was already a queue snaking out of the door when I arrived. And the moment I saw it, I thought: of course there is. Because this is not just an exhibition. This is Queen Elizabeth II’s entire life, told through the most breathtaking clothes you have ever seen, and people are absolutely flocking…

Read more

5 months ago · 44 likes · 7 comments · Julie Montagu

A historic houses weekend in Wiltshire

Luke and I then headed to Wiltshire, where we stayed at the Hall in Bradford on Avon, which is a stunning Jacobean mansion built between 1610 and 1620, in what must be one of the most beautiful Georgian towns in the country.

We were there for our regional Historic Houses AGM (Luke sits on the Wessex committee), hosted this year at Belcombe Court, a grade-one-listed Georgian house set in 60 acres of formal gardens. We had dinner the evening before at Iford Manor and Gardens, which is one of the very first gardens I ever filmed for my American Countess YouTube channel, five years ago now.

How time flies!

There’s nothing quite like gathering with other historic house owners and custodians to compare notes on what’s going well this year, and what perhaps isn’t.

A certain series… (I can’t say much!)

I HAVE to be brief here: there’s a second season of a certain series we were part of last year, and we’ll be part of it again this year. I had a wonderful creative call with the team, and filming begins imminently.

I think you can probably guess…but my lips are sealed for now!

My most chaotic day yet

And then there was Wednesday, which was possibly the busiest day I’ve ever had at Mapperton.

Back-to-back meetings from half past eight: our filmmaker David, the builder helping me renovate the flat connected to the main house, the full team meeting, the kitchen garden, the formal gardens, social media and YouTube…

By ten to two I had precisely ten minutes to grab a salad and walk outside, bowl and fork in hand, to meet the Financial Times photographer.

There’s an article on the way, and when I admitted I’m not terribly good at dressing elegantly—you’ll usually find me in my red boiler suit—they simply said, “Wonderful, let’s do the red boiler suit.” So that’s exactly what we did!

After that came a wedding meeting, then filming in the Coach House Café kitchen with Christine, turning our kitchen garden produce into recipes, and finally a five o’clock meeting about a big project Luke and I are working on that I can’t breathe a word of yet…though some of you will find out soon.

The rest of the week was, in a word, filming. Lots and lots of filming.

Another marathon?!

I can hardly believe I’m typing this, but Emma, Jack, and I entered the ballot for the Copenhagen Marathon in 2027…

…and we’re in!

Yep, I’ve 100% caught the marathon bug.

So it’s Amsterdam this October, and now Copenhagen next May.

I’m not entirely sure what I’ve signed myself up for, but somehow that first accidental marathon in Florence got under my skin, and it seems running is in my blood now. We’ll see how long that lasts…

Thank you, as ever, for being here, for every pre-order, every kind note, every click. It truly does move the needle, and it’s what lets me keep sharing all of this with you. I feel very lucky indeed.

With love and gratitude,

xxJulie

Just over three months from today—24th September 2026—this book is in the world. In actual shops. In actual hands. After nearly two years of writing, photographing, archiving, researching and one or two moments of wondering if I’d ever finish it, Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton is just over three months away.

Because if you’re on this newsletter, you’ve been part of this journey in some way. You’ve read the Alberta essays. You’ve watched the shoots. You’ve followed along as I’ve tried to make sense of what it means to live inside a piece of history and do justice to the people who came before us. This book is the answer I arrived at. And I cannot wait for you to hold it.

What’s inside?

A full year at Mapperton, season by season. The house as it was—and as it is today. The extraordinary people who shaped it and our family history, including Alberta Sturges, the American heiress who crossed the Atlantic during that Gilded Age ere and left behind thousands of letters in our archive. The garden. The collections. The community we are building. The objects that carry grief and joy in equal measure.

And photographs. So many beautiful photographs.

If you haven’t pre-ordered yet—now really is the moment.

Pre-orders close 23rd September 2026—the day before publication. And every single one matters enormously, shaping how booksellers and Amazon position and promote the book right through to launch day and beyond.

Order from Amazon, Bookshop.org or Barnes & Noble, then complete the form to claim your thank-you gifts:

✨ Patrons — exclusive live Q&A with me, monthly digital scrapbook of unpublished images, Patron-only signed bookplate, plus a surprise still to come.

✨ Not yet a Patron? — 3 months free Mapperton Live! membership, entry to win 1 of 100 spots in a live Q&A with me, signed downloadable bookplate, and a Christmas card from me and Luke by post.

Pre-order and claim your gifts here

Just over three months. Let’s make them count.

With love, as always. xx Julie

What a fortnight it has been…and what a fortnight is ahead. I’ve finished a year of ‘Gardening through the Seasons’, I’m off to one of my favourite gardens in the country with my boiler suit packed, I’ve wandered Chelsea with champagne in hand, belted out my favourite song under a circus tent, and I’ve signed something I’m longing to tell you about. Pull up a chair; there’s A LOT in this issue.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

· A second book (shh, it’s a secret!)

· A year of learning in the garden

· An apprenticeship of a lifetime

· The Chelsea Flower Show

· The Greatest Showman!

· My biggest-ever restoration project (the first to know is you)

· Another marathon?!

Let’s dive in!

A Second Book (very much a secret)

I can hardly believe I’m writing this, but the pre-order sales for Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton have been so wonderfully strong that last week I signed for my second book.

I can’t say a word more than that just yet—hint, hint—but it would NOT be happening without you.

Every pre-order genuinely matters, and they have mattered hugely. So if you’ve been meaning to order, now really is the moment.

Pre-Order Now

My Year of Gardening

I’ve just finished my Gardening Through the Seasons course, run by Troy Scott Smith, the head gardener at Sissinghurst.

I’ve learned so much over the past year, and I’m endlessly grateful for the chance to learn from someone like Troy.

Now comes the best part: putting it all into practice in Mapperton’s Italianate formal gardens.

Stay tuned! There will be plenty to show you.

An Apprenticeship of a Lifetime at Newby Hall

As I write this, I’m about to leave for Newby Hall and Gardens—in my view, one of the top ten gardens in the country.

Lucinda Compton, who is custodian there alongside her husband Richard, has very kindly invited me up for what is, in essence, an apprenticeship.

I’ll be in my boiler suit from the early hours…and remember, in British summertime the sun rises just before 5am and doesn’t set until around 9:30pm! So there will be plenty of gardening hours.

A half day Monday, all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and then something rather special on the Thursday, working alongside Lucinda and the head gardener, Lawrence.

But I’ll save that Thursday surprise for the next newsletter…

Two Days at the Chelsea Flower Show

Straight after my gardening course, I drove back up to London for the Chelsea Flower Show preview party, where you beat the crowds and see as many gardens as you can while sipping champagne and nibbling canapés.

I got to see the King’s Foundation garden with no queues at all, and it was stunning: perennials and annuals cleverly woven through vegetables.

The next day I went back with my partner in crime, the interior designer extraordinaire Malcolm Winyard. It was a perfect day of sun and cloud!

We queued forty minutes this time for the King’s Foundation garden. It was worth it - even the second time around! We arrived at 11:30am and stayed until it closed at 8pm!

Chelsea has grown so wonderfully that it’s now full of brilliant British-made stallholders too. My favourite stall was Country Life, built like a library—so cool. I also treated myself to a pair of Japanese secateurs and fell for Elizabeth Scarlett’s travel bags!

The Greatest Showman…and a very un-British moment

Then it was back up to London, because Emma and Jack had bought me birthday tickets to Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular at Earl’s Court.

They know I’m completely obsessed with that soundtrack!

We had wonderful pub food beforehand, then stepped into a huge tent of acrobats and every tune I love. I’d been waiting all night for “This Is Me,” my favourite, and when it finally came—second to last—the American in me simply stood up and belted it out from the back row!

Very interactive, very fun, and gloriously un-British of me. The Hugh Jackman of the night kept pointing my way: get up like this lady, get up, get up! What a night!

My biggest-ever restoration project—and you’ll be the first to know

I couldn’t get enough of Malcolm, so Malcolm, Rory Hutton and I are now collaborating on the most exciting thing I’ve taken on at Mapperton. Rory is a super talented textile designer who has worked with the King at Highgrove, the V&A’s Collection, the British Museum—the list goes on and on.

This is my biggest restoration project in the house, and there won’t be another like it. Malcolm is leading the design, and Rory is creating something unbelievably special. We had the loveliest evening at Mapperton—drinks and canapés outside in the warmth, then a fish dinner of sea bass that Luke had caught the day before, before getting to work on drawings and measurements.

We’ll be announcing this collaboration in the next couple of weeks—and you, lovely friends, will be the very first to hear.

I’m Marathon Training Again!

Training for the Amsterdam marathon is properly underway, and weight training has become my non-negotiable. I aim for strength work three times a week, plus of course my two-hour yoga class.

I clocked my second-fastest 10k recently, which I was thrilled with, and rounded off the week with a 16k run.

The momentum is very much there! And I’m excited to see how I’ll do in a marathon when I’ve actually trained for it!

All About the Dogs

I’ve just published a piece over at my Gilded Heiresses substack that I think you’ll really love: it’s all about dogs!

They are such a part of life here, and it was a joy to write.

Gilded Heiresses

The Four-Legged Companions of the Gilded Age

Long before pampered pooches were travelling first class, sporting monogrammed jumpers, and somehow attracting more admirers on Instagram than their owners, the elite of the nineteenth century knew the social power of a well-bred pet…

Read more

5 months ago · 35 likes · 1 comment · Julie Montagu

Thank you, as ever, for being here. Every pre-order, every kind note, every click really does move the needle…and it lets me keep sharing all of this with you. I feel very lucky indeed.

With love and gratitude,

Julie

I have two pieces of news and I am barely keeping it together.

First—because of you, because of your pre-orders and your shares and your recommendations to friends—Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton has already gone to a second print run. It hasn’t even published yet. I don’t have the words.

Second—and I genuinely cannot say much, it’s a SECRET, but I can’t not tell you—I have just signed for a second book! Ahhhhh!

That’s it. That’s all I’m allowed to say. But I needed you to know, because none of it— not the second print run, not the second book deal—happens without the momentum you have created around this first one. Pre-orders matter. You have just proven exactly how much.

So if you haven’t pre-ordered yet, now is genuinely the moment. Not just for me— though it does mean everything—but because pre-orders are what tell publishers, booksellers and Amazon that a book deserves attention. Every single one counts, right up to the deadline of 23rd September 2026.

Pre-order from Amazon, Bookshop.org or Barnes & Noble—and when you do, fill in the form at the link below to claim your thank-you gifts:**

✨ Patrons receive an exclusive live Q&A with me, a monthly digital scrapbook of unpublished images, and a Patron-only signed bookplate—plus one more surprise to come.

✨ Not yet a Patron? You’ll receive 3 months of free Mapperton Live! membership, entry into a draw for 1 of 100 spots in a live Q&A with me, a signed downloadable bookplate, and a Christmas card from me and Luke by post in December.

Pre-order and Claim your gifts here

Publication day: 24th September 2026.

A second print run. A second book. A second huge thank you.

You did that. xx Julie