He doesn’t entertain dead Turkish diplomats, but Alex Wichtel’s NYT profile of the Downton creator suggests that Fellowes’ day-to-day existence does resemble a modern-day Downton in certain respects. To wit: Fellowes lives on an estate, with a name (Stafford House), and his home boasts two wings, one built in 1633, the other in 1840; he’s titled nobility — the Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, or Lord Fellowes — but, like the Downstairs-friendly Earl Grantham, he encourages informality among his staff (they call him Julian); and, most delightfully, he has an exacting mother-in-law who insists on calling him Evelyn. Explains Wichtel: “It seems she had her heart set on her daughter marrying a man called Evelyn, so Evelyn he is.” Paging Maggie Smith. The profile doesn’t elaborate on Fellowes’ relationships with various members of his household staff, but it does note that Stafford House is home “to a massive tree [that] was featured in the film Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow.” Famous trees! The Granthams surely approve. [NYTM]
