An Evening with Lord Fellowes
Join us for a spectacular evening with Julian Fellowes, the Oscar and Emmy winning writer, director, producer, novelist and actor who created "The Gilded Age" and "Downton Abbey."
with introduction by Society Editor Daisy Prince
This extravagant evening begins with cocktails on the terrace overlooking the scenic lawn that the Vanderbilt family and their guests so greatly enjoyed. Guests will then be invited into the Great Hall, an opulent space reserved for only the finest occasions – where presidents, aristocrats and European nobility once socialized – for a seated dinner and introductory remarks by society editor Daisy Prince. Following the main course, Lord Fellowes will engage in conversation with Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director Trudy Coxe. He will respond to select questions prior to the serving of dessert.
Julian Fellowes has had an extensive and distinguished career in film, television, publishing and the dramatic arts. He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2002 for “Gosford Park,” his first produced film, and he is the creator, sole writer and executive producer of the worldwide hit series, “Downton Abbey,” which received 69 Emmy Award nominations, winning 15, over its six seasons. He also received a Golden Globe Award and special BAFTA Award for “Downton Abbey.” The “Downton Abbey” movie written and produced by Fellowes was released in 2019. Most recently, the feature film “Downton Abbey: A New Era” written and produced by Fellowes was released in Spring 2022.
His other work includes “Separate Lies” for which he received the National Board of Review Directorial Debut Award, “From Time to Time” which he wrote and directed which won Best Picture at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival and Best Picture at the Fiuggi Family Festival in Rome, “The Young Victoria,” “Vanity Fair,” his Emmy Award-winning “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” and the BAFTA nominated “The Prince and The Pauper;” and three novels – “Belgravia,” “Snobs,” and “Past Imperfect” – that were Sunday Times Best Sellers. He is responsible for the “book” of the Broadway musicals “Mary Poppins” and “School of Rock – The Musical” for which he received a Tony nomination. In January 2011, he was given a peerage and entered the House of Lords as the Lord Fellowes of West Stafford.
The Preservation Society extends our sincere thanks to Lord Fellowes for his willingness and generosity to share this wonderful evening with us at The Breakers.
We invite guests to consider sponsorship opportunities, which begin at $15,000 for a table of ten. Standard tickets are $500 per person.
For information on sponsorships or donations to the Preservation Society, please reach out to Sarah Iwanski, Director of Development, at siwanski@newportmansions.org.
For information on tickets and event logistics, please reach out to Beverly Ware, Events Manager, at events@newportmansions.org.
More Tours, Events & Exhibitions

Beneath The Breakers Tour
Daily
10:30am and 2:30pm
Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.

Learn from Our Docents
Saturdays & Sundays
multiple times daily
Who are the French kings and Greek gods depicted on the walls? Why is the Gothic Room so ... Gothic? Hear all the details of this spectacular house, and stories of the people who lived and worked there, from one of our expert guides.

Winter Gilded Age Lecture Series
January 26 – March 2, 2023
6:00pm
Learn about the historical set locations of Julian Fellowes’ “The Gilded Age” on HBO; African American designers and dressmakers who created the garments worn by privileged Newporters; cocktails that were all the rage in the Gilded Age; and the music that brought elegance and beauty to the soundtrack of the period.

African American Designers and Dressmakers
February 9, 2023
6:00pm
Who were the designers and dressmakers who skillfully created garments for privileged Newporters in the past?

Winter Fest 2023
February 20 – 24, 2023
10:30am – 12:00pm
Story Time at The Breakers Stable & Carriage House is a celebration of the winter season!

Cocktail Culture in the Gilded Age
February 23, 2023
6:00pm
The Gilded Age was also the “Golden Age of Cocktails,” when discriminating palates discovered the delights of new concoctions that became the classic cocktails of today: the Martini, Manhattan, Old-Fashioned and more. Get the story from the author of “Gilded Age Cocktails.”

Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport Musical Program
March 2, 2023
6:00pm
Step back in time to experience live music the Gilded Age way.

Servant Life Tour
Daily
Starting April 1, 2023
See and hear how the other half lived as you take the Servant Life Tour at The Elms. This tour will highlight the stories of some of the men and women who worked to service the social whirl of Newport during the Gilded Age.