I went viral! ... and did a secret ROYAL documentary

Filming, fashion, heritage, and the National Trust

Dear wonderful readers,

The past few weeks have swept by in a glorious blur of filming, research, travel, and late-night writing sessions. There is so much happening behind the scenes at the moment, and I’m thrilled to share the highlights with you.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:
• A new royal documentary
• Big steps forward for Season 5
• A special honour from Historic Houses
• A new National Trust project
• Substack news and restoration before / after photos
• Exhibitions, vintage fashion, and marathon training

Let’s begin!

A royal documentary

Earlier this month, I spent a day filming for a documentary about the abdication of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

It was my first time speaking on camera specifically as a Gilded Age historian, and diving deeper into the cultural and political atmosphere of the 1930s has been completely absorbing. I was thrilled to do an interview as an official historian!

And I’m doing more work on Gilded Age history on my Substack.

I write all about period — the glamour, the tension, the shifting social landscape — and I’d love for you to join me there!

It’s simple, just go to gildedheiresses.com and subscribe! All of the proceeds go to research, archive work, and travel so that I can write accurate (and hopefully entertaining!) pieces about our favourite Dollar Princesses.

Season 5: Where we are now

We are well into filming Season 5 of American Countess, and this season already feels particularly rich. We’ve been on the road across England, Wales, and Scotland, capturing stories from houses that are very different from one another.

This season has already taken us from the idyllic charm of The Crooked House to the classical beauty of Kirtlington Park, the lakeside tranquillity of Combermere Abbey, and the dramatic, windswept romance of Gwrych Castle in North Wales.

Gwyrch Castle

We’ve been inside the grand rooms of Knowsley Hall, explored the wild hills and vast estate of Drumlanrig Castle in the Scottish Borders, and we’ll soon be heading to Powderham Castle, which promises to be a very special visit.

Each house has offered something completely different: a new perspective, a new strand of history, or a moment that makes us stop and say, “This is why we tell these stories.”

And then there’s the news I’ve been bursting to share…

Our first National Trust house

After a great deal of patience and behind-the-scenes coordination, we’ve secured our very first National Trust house for American Countess!

It’s a remarkable place — one of those estates that takes your breath away the moment you see it — and we’ll begin filming early next year.

I can’t reveal which house it is yet, but our Patron community will, of course, hear the announcement first.

(By the way…something really new and big is coming to Patreon. I’d LOVE for you to join the community!)

A very special honour

Luke and I were deeply honoured to receive the Historic Houses Diversification Award 2025 at the Annual General Meeting in London!

The award recognises creative and entrepreneurial approaches to sustaining historic houses, and Mapperton was celebrated for our digital work, particularly the Mapperton Live! YouTube channel, which now has more than 185,000 subscribers. (Can you believe it?!)

It means so much to us because the channel directly supports essential repairs and restoration at Mapperton, and has sparked new initiatives such as Grand Historic Tours and the Alberta Research AI Project, which brings thousands of Alberta’s letters into the light.

The AGM itself was a joy: more than a thousand custodians gathered, many of whom we’ve filmed with over the years. The evening before, we attended a fascinating panel at Christie’s on festivals and heritage, which left us both inspired…and quite certain that we won’t be running a festival anytime soon!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the Mapperton Live! channel.

Substack: fashion, heiresses, and a live conversation

Thank you to everyone who joined my Substack Live conversation with fashion historian Elizabeth Block. We spoke about Gilded Age fashion, Worth gowns, and Elizabeth’s forthcoming book. The replay is now available for paid subscribers.

And a warm welcome to the many new readers who found me through my recent post, “The Houses the Gilded Heiresses Lived In,” which unexpectedly went viral!

I’m thrilled so many of you are diving into these extraordinary women’s stories.

You can find everything — new essays, voice notes, and archival discoveries — at gildedheiresses.com.

Tapestry Triumph & A New Mission: The Japanese Screens

I’m thrilled to share the incredible before-and-after photos of the Peacock Tapestry — the transformation is astonishing! Huge thanks to Emma Telford and her team, and to all of you who donated to make this restoration possible. You’ve helped bring a beautiful piece of Mapperton’s history back to life.

Next up: the rare 18th-century Japanese Genji-type screens! They’re being collected on Wednesday for conservation, and we’re already over 50% funded. With your help, we can reach the finish line and ensure these treasures are properly preserved. Every bit counts!

Behind the scenes: exhibitions, vintage fashion & running

On the home front, I’ve kept up my running: never less than 5K, and often between 10–15K when I can.

I’m training for the Florence, Italy 10K later this month, before cheering Emma and Jack on in the full marathon. Their training is going so well!

Thank you, as always, for reading, watching, and being part of this remarkable community. Whether you’re here for the history, the houses, the women whose stories we uncover, or simply the joy of learning something new. I’m so grateful you’re here!

With love and gratitude,
Xx Julie