Downton Abbey filled with Calgary connections, historian says

Whenthe popular English drama Downton Abbey returns as a movie, an Alberta historian will be watching for Calgary connections.

Doug Coatsis "completelyhooked" on the series, which he checked out from the library after many recommendations from friends.

"It's funny, I didn't even watch the show when it was on," he told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

Now he's a fan and he's been tracking the multitude of Calgary-related scenes in the period drama, whichtracks the Crawley family as they govern their struggling English estate in the countryside.

Coatsis presenting on those connections as part of Historic Calgary Week. His talk is on Tuesday at the JohnDuttonTheatre in the Central Library (616 Macleod Tr. S.E.). It starts at 7 p.m.

Even if you're not a die-hard fan of the show,he promises you'll enjoy this run-through of Calgary's historical highlights, told through the lens of Downton Abbey.

In Season 4, character Lady Rose travels to London to be presented to society in front of King George and Queen Mary.

"In the background was their son, named David in the show. Later he became King Edward VIII, the infamous one who abdicated to marry the woman he loved," Coatssaid.

King Edwardwas "sort of the Prince William of his day," Coats said, and travelled across Canada. Then the Prince of Wales, he laid the corner stone for the Peace Tower in Ottawa. When he stopped in Calgary, he fell in love with the area and bought a ranch outside the city.

E.P. Ranch, or Edward Prince Ranch,is now a registered Alberta historic place.

Drama sent to Calgary

While in England, an earlier love affairby the prince made waves in Alberta. He had a mistress, Freda Dudley Ward, who was married to parliamentarian William Dudley Ward.

"David-slash-Edward had to get him out of the picture somehow," Coatssaid.

Ward was made the custodian of the royal's Alberta properties. To this day, an old sandstone building on Stephen Avenue in Calgaryis still known as the Glanville/Ward Block, which had been the site ofWard's offices. He was later buried in Calgary'sUnion Cemetery.

Start of a country

Two castles also play a large role in DowntonAbbey, as well as Alberta's history. The abbey, which is actually Highclere Castle, wasone of the key places that led to Canada's confederation and it's the key setting inDowntonAbbey.

In 1866, the soon-to-be first Canadian prime minister, John A. Macdonald, was invited with George-tienneCartier to HighclereCastle, then home to the colonial secretary known as Lord Carnavon.

"The provinces, kind of typically like they would today, went from almost unanimous agreement in Quebec to total disagreement in London, each one trying to get the best deal for themselves," Coats said.

The secretary had hoped he couldhammer out a deal that would eventually be presented to the British Parliament.

Watch for more about how this English castle played in the eventual birth of a new country:

How an English castle contributed to Canada's creation

7 years ago

Duration 4:56

This English castle might best be known as the setting for Downton Abbey but its 19th-century earl played a role in the passing of the British North America Act and the eventual birth of a new country

A modern day Lady Carnavonfound a diaryin which Macdonald called the castlea "swell place."

So when main characters Mary and Matthew Crawleywalk the castle's halls and sit in the lounge, know the country's first prime minister had been there first, Coats said.

The connection that really struck Coats was in Season 3, when the Crawley family goes on a shooting holiday to Scotland tostay with an old friend named Shrimpie in Duneagle Castle.

"Well, there is no DuneagleCastle. The real castle's called Inveraray Castle," Coatssaid. "Little boy grew up there, hisname was John Campbell. He later had the good sense to marry one of Queen Victoria's daughters, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta."

Campbell became Governor General of Canada, came west without his wife and enjoyed the landscape around Fort Calgary. He had dinner with the first documented European settler family in the area, the Glenns in Fish Creek, Coats said, and sketched the settlement for publication overseas.

"They gave him the honour of naming this area, this district of the Northwest Territory," Coats said. "Like any smart man would, he named it after his wife, and since there was already a Louisiana, she decided to go with Alberta, which also covered her father, Prince Albert."

The new Downton Abbey movie with the primary cast members set to return is being filmed this summer. It's likely to be released sometime next year.

Listen to more from Doug Coats on Downton Abbey's Alberta connections:

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.