A life to make Daphne Bridgerton jealous! Society beauty Blanche Howard - who lives at the castle where the Netflix hit was filmed - juggles training to be an architect with Tatler shoots and VERY stylish getaways
- 'Real-life Daphne' Blanche Howard, 26, grew up at Yorkshire's Castle Howard
- The stately home acts as a filming location for the Netflix hit show Bridgerton
- Socialite is straying from the usual aristocrat path by becoming an architect
- Often shares snaps of her glamorous outfits and exotic adventures abroad online
From their flowing auburn locks and to their high standing in the upper echelons of society, Daphne Bridgerton and heiress Blanche Howard have plenty in common.
The 26-year-old daughter of the Hon Nicholas Howard and his wife Victoria, Blanche grew up at Yorkshire’s Castle Howard where Bridgerton was recently filmed.
But unlike Daphne, the socialite is straying from the usual aristo path by getting a proper job as an architect – a career surely inspired by growing up beneath the famous baroque turrets.
Meanwhile her Instagram page is full of enviable sunny getaways and stylish outfit snaps which she shares with her 1,000 or so followers.
From their flowing auburn locks and to their high standing in the upper echelons of society, Daphne Bridgerton and heiress Blanche Howard have plenty in common
Castle Howard has been the setting for multiple blockbuster films and hit TV shows, including the 2008 film version of Brideshead, which starred Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, Matthew Goode and Ben Whishaw
She revealed friends had teased they had seen cast members of Bridgerton 'having sex all over the house'
Blanche lives in the sprawling grounds of Castle Howard, 15 miles north of York, which doubled up as The Duke of Hastings’ country estate, Clyveden Castle in the saucy series.
Speaking to Tatler , she revealed friends had teased they had seen cast members of Bridgerton 'having sex all over the house'.
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She said she had 'binged' the series, adding: 'My parents and I thought it was great. What’s so interesting is that you are seeing the house as it would have been at that time.'
Meanwhile Blanche said the family had enjoyed the months in which tourists were unable to visit the castle due to the Covid-19 crisis, revealing: 'Obviously lockdown was not good for the business, so there was a lot of anxiety around that.
The 26-year-old daughter of the Hon Nicholas Howard and his wife Victoria, Blanche grew up at Yorkshire’s Castle Howard where Bridgerton was recently filmed (pictured, wearing a stylish two piece suit)
Recent snaps posted online show Blanche enjoying adventures in Greece with friends (left) and meals out in London(right)
'But we were so lucky to spend that time here. No one from the past two generations has experienced the house without the public here.'
Her Instagram is littered with pictures of exotic adventures abroad with friends, including trips to Greece and Mallorca within the past year.
Despite her privileged upbringing, Blanche said she had never lost the 'wow factor' of her parent's home.
She is currently a third year student at the Architectural Association in Bloomsbury and said spending time in the house has inspired her love for the subject.
Blanche's parents came to move into the castle after her uncle Simon Howard stepped down as director in 2015. He moved out with his wife Rebecca and their two children (pictured together Simon and Rebecca in 2001)
Blanche' father Nicholas has made his reputation as a London-based photographer (left) while her mother created the publishing company Fourth Estate before becoming CEO of Harper Collins, in 1993 (right)
Castle Howard, which was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built between 1699 and 1712, has been home to ten generations of the Howard family.
Spreading out over 145 rooms, the house is considered one of Vanbrugh's greatest achievements.
Its magnificent art collection includes ancient sculptures, Old Masters and works by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough.
The highly praised 1981 television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel Brideshead Revisited starred Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews and Diana Quick was filmed at the castle, and tells the story of the aristocratic Roman Catholic Marchmain family.
Blanche's family moved into the castle when she was 21-years-old, and for her birthday that year, the family threw a spooky party there
Meanwhile Blanche's Instagram page is full of enviable sunny getaways and stylish outfit snaps which she shares with her 1,000 or so followers
The auburn-haired beauty often shares pictures of her adventures online, including jaunts around the UK (left) and holidays abroad (right)
Speaking to Tatler , she revealed friends had teased they had seen cast members of Bridgerton 'having sex all over the house', which was used as the Duke of Hasting's home, Clyvedon Castle in the series (pictured, Blanche in one of the 140 rooms in Castle Howard)
It put the stately home on the international map.
Castle Howard was also the setting for the 2008 film version of Brideshead, which starred Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, Matthew Goode and Ben Whishaw.
In recent years, it has featured in the 1995 film The Buccaneers, and Garfield: A Tail Of Two Kitties, released in 2006. It was also the exterior set for an estate in Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film Barry Lyndon.
Blanche's parents came to move into the castle after her uncle Simon Howard stepped down as director in 2015. He moved out with his wife Rebecca and their two children.
She is currently a third year student at the Architectural Association in Bloomsbury and said spending time in the house has inspired her love for the subject
At the time, friends of Simon told Mail on Sunday he was approached by Nicholas and Victoria and asked to step down, or face being outvoted by the directors of the private company.
Her father Nicholas Howard had made his reputation as a London-based photographer.
He has photographed top artists such as Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry and his pictures of Castle Howard were exhibited at the house in 2008.
Meanwhile Blanche's unique fashion sense is also often on display to her 1,000 Instagram followers (pictured)
He married Victoria Barnsley, who created the publishing company Fourth Estate before becoming CEO of Harper Collins, in 1993.
Blanche's family moved in when she was 21-years-old, and for her birthday that year, the family threw a spooky party there.
Among the celebrations were a hanging chandelier made of 1,250 yellow washing-up gloves, as you do. A guest told Tatler at the time: ‘Raucous doesn’t begin to cover it.’
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