The Aristocrats: Keeping Up With the Aristocrats gave viewers an inside look at England’s most grand stately homes. But not all were impressed.
Some viewers were unhappy that a program about the struggles of the upper class to maintain their country’s financial stability was chosen at a time in which many families struggle to make ends meet.
In the first episode, Princess Olga Romanoff complained about maintaining Kent’s 13-century Provender House. Lady Emma Fitzalan – Howard (Lord Gerard) and Lady Emma Fitzalan – who own North Yorkshire’s 126 room Carlton Towers, both claimed they are ‘not wealthy at all.
Unimpressed viewers wrote that the program was inappropriate because people have to make a choice between eating and heating. #keepingupwiththearistocrats.’
Family legacy: Gerald’s older brother Edward inherited Arundel Castle (Sussex) and Carlton Towers (North Yorkshire), which he left to Gerald. Gerald has been living there ever since 1991. Pictured: Lord Gerald and Lady Emma, his 30 year-old wife
The premiere episode of Keeping Up With The Aristocrats featured Lord and Lady Fitzalan Howard, North Yorkshire’s 126-room Carlton Towers.
It is expensive: This stately home sits on 1,000 acres and includes a clock tower as well as three state rooms, a Venetian Drawing Room, and three state rooms. There are many benefits to this amount of space but also huge costs. The heating bill alone sets them back £70,000 a year
Realism! Reality check!
Another posted: ‘When bills are rocketing, poverty increasing and people struggling, see fit to show is how the other half live #keepingupwiththearistocrats.’
The third was: “Why do these screens need to be on our screens?” #KeepingUpWithTheAristocrats.’
Gerald has lived in Arundel Castle since 1991.
Lord Gerald is also related to royalty – he’s a descendant of Anne Boleyn.
This stately home is situated on 1,000 acres and includes a clock tower as well as three state rooms, a Venetian Drawing Room, and a Venetian Room.
Lady Emma Fitzalan Howard stated, “Having a stately residence is a privilege. But it does come with an emotional price tag.” It also comes with an actual price tag: the heating bill alone costs £70,000 a year.
“People believe that Gerald and mine are extremely rich. But the fact is, we’re absolutely not very wealthy,” Lady Emma, his wife insisted.
Flogging their wares: Lord and Lady Fitzalan-Howard tried to sell their own-brand sparkling wine on last night’s episode, in another bid to bring in more cash to the costly estate
Lord Gerarld has a knack for ingenuity and loves to come up with new ways of making money. Gerald, 59, confessed that he is always full of new ideas.
For the couple to bring in some money Carlton Towers has 17 rooms for guests, and six bedrooms for family members.
Gerald is learning to cook fish and meat with a shed he got from Homebase. He plans to make sparkling wines for his guests. Gerald has also planted an estate vineyard to produce sparkling wine.
The couple were thrilled when they put the stopper in the first bottle of sparkling and travel to Renishaw Hall to share it with the Sitwells.
Russian royalty: Princess Olga Romanoff (pictured) is a member of the Russian upper-classes, whose great-uncle Tsar Nicholas II was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. However she needs money to run her family’s estate and said she’s already spent £2million on maintenance
Olga puts herself into work. Olga reminisces about a time in which there was more staff to maintain the estate. She said that she loved the garden, but it was more enjoyable when there were people to do all the work.
Money pit: Princess Olga (71), has been twice married, and once divorced. She lives in the Provender House, near Faversham. It was her inheritance 21 years ago after the death of the mother. Her father, Nicholas II, fled to England.
After selling their bubbly at the local food and beverage market Lord Gerald stated that they had made some very good wine. My Dad would probably be smiling up at me.
Alexandra Sitwell (63), who inherits Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire’s Grade I listed 17th century property where her family lived since 1625, is another toff in the show.
Rick, Rick’s husband, has been a businessman from the Bahamas and was once chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rick is now a 500-acre owner of an estate that includes an Italianate garden as well as a vineyard with wines that are available in supermarkets.
Alexandra and Rick admit that despite having an entire staff, it is a difficult business.
Money-spinner: The 58-year old Lord Ivar Mountbatten appeared with James on the programme. As they set up a pop-up kitchen with Jean-Christophe Novelli, cameras followed.
Save money! Lord Ivar likes to wash the 100 windows of Bridwell park (pictured), in order to make some extra cash
Royal family: Through George Mountbatten’s father, Lord Ivar, Lord Ivar has a connection to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
They have four gardeners, two housekeepers and a butler, David, who jokes he got into the business because of his father.
He stated that his father was a farmer of pigs and later became a butler. But he said it the same way: they eat when they are hungry, and then you pick up after them!
Meanwhile Princess Olga Romanoff, whose Great-uncle Nicholas II, who was assassinated by Bolsheviks 1918 was quickly taken to the grave to dismiss the general perception of her moneyed class.
She said, “I am not an ordinary princess.” ‘At home you’ll find me shovelling s***, sadly, not eating caviar.’
The 71-year-old Princess Olga lives in the Provender House, near Faversham. She was twice married, and once divorced. Her father Nicholas II, her nephew fled to England 21 years before she died. The money was gone and the house became a wreck.
Touring the grounds: Alexandra Sitwell and her husband Rick strolled through Renishaw Hall, in Derbyshire, in their dressing gowns and pyjamas
Spreading: 500-acres of land boasts an Italianate Garden and a Vineyard with wines that are available in supermarkets
She recalled, “When I was young, it seemed as if there was an endless pit of money.” It was, until my grandmother passed away. Then my mother, poor woman, got into deep s**t and the debts just rose and rose and rose.
“I was the one who inherited it and realized that the house was actually falling apart. ‘It’s still falling down, £2.5 million later,’ said Olga dryly. “I sold some Russian heirlooms in order to finance it.
The show revealed she generates income by renting out a wing of the house via Airbnb and by giving £14-a-head tours to busloads of tourists.
As Olga gave a tour of one group to her ex, cameras followed her. She made jokes about her late grandfather’s busts as well as pointed out the painting that her ex-boyfriend had painted for her.
But she also remembers a time in which there was an entire staff to run the estate.
She said, “I love the gardens, but it was even more fun when people did all of this,” as she ran a mower across the lawn.
Viewers loved her candor and said that they were eager to have her over for dinner.
Staff: Alexandra and Rick are blessed with a staff of four gardeners and two housekeepers. David jokes that he was inspired by his father to get into this business.
In the series, Lord Ivar Montbatten, 58 (a cousin to Prince Philip) cleans the more than 100 windows at his Devon mansion, 18th century Bridwell Park.
Lord Ivar stated, “These places aren’t managed by themselves. I’m not the type of person who would rather pay them for it.”
He was a father-of-3 and a divorced dad. Four years ago, he made history by becoming the first British monarch to marry sex with James Coyle (an airline steward).
James explained that James would say: “Sometimes we are at a drink party and some older duffers will say “Who are YOU?” I’ll respond “I’m Ivar” to which they’ll ask “What business do you have?” Then you must say “the gay industry”.
Ivar and Lady Penny remain close to each other. Penny gave Ivar up on his wedding day. They had two daughters. Ella, Alix, and Luli are famously good friends with their stepfather.
Ivar said, “I had lived 17 years with a woman, then suddenly I didn’t have a woman by my side but a man. It was quite a step,” and added, “We now have a large, mixed family.”
Bridwell Park includes an ornamental pool, a Gothic chapel, and a deer area. They are all beautiful but very expensive to maintain.
In the series, Lord Ivar and James try to earn a crust by organising a pop-up restaurant at the house in collaboration with French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, charging guests £165 a head for an exclusive dinner.
It is just one of the ideas Ivar and James has to try and make money to cover the £100,000-a-year it takes to keep the house running. The cafe is available on the site.
James stated, “A restaurant seems like a natural progression of the cafe,” as Jean-Christophe arrived at the estate.
Lord Ivar is required to clean twice the windows in the dining room and three tablescloths are needed for each one to make it soft.
It’s worth all the effort when the evening, attended by other aristocrats in the show, goes off without any problems.
James said, “After tonight I think that we have shown that we are capable of it, we can pull this off.” James said, “I’d do it again… But not tomorrow.”