There are lots of reasons why millions of viewers tune in to PBS to watch Downton Abbey, the British period drama that follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family. There are illicit romances, class tensions and Dowager Countess of Grantham’s witty observations, to name a few.
And then there’s Downton Abbey, known as Highclere Castle in real life. The current home of an earl and countess, Downton Abbey serves as stunning back drop and plays a central role in the show’s plot.
Most people simply admire the castle. As insurance professionals, we had to ask: How much would it cost to insure Downton Abbey?
As you can imagine, it’s a lot. We recently spoke with Terry McConnell, vice president, Personal Lines Underwriting at Erie Insurance, and Michael Bauer, supervisor, Commercial Underwriting at Erie Insurance, to get an idea of what it would cost to insure Downton Abbey. Read on to learn about what Terry and Michael took into account for this calculation.
The Home: The home’s sheer size is one thing. Then there’s the fact that it contains high-quality craftsmanship from a bygone era. Both of those facts drive up the cost to insure Downton Abbey.
The Contents: Think you have a lot of stuff? We can guarantee it’s nothing compared the thousands of items—many of them truly priceless—inside Downton Abbey.
Other Structures and Landscaping: The estate also includes a guest house, stables and carefully tended landscaping. All of these things need coverage.
Workers’ Compensation: Dozens of servants, cooks, gardeners and more work behind the scenes of Downton Abbey. Learn what it takes to insure them against injuries sustained on the job.
Liability: When Her Majesty, the Queen of England, is your dinner guest, you have a definite need for liability coverage. Learn about the Crawley’s other unique liability risks and how they would be insured.
The Final Verdict: Drumroll, please: This is where our experts reveal their estimates for how much it would cost to insure Downton Abbey.
Ready to learn more? Then let’s get started to see what it would cost to insure Downton Abbey.
Read the full story from Erie Insurance: “How Much Would It Cost to Insure Downton Abbey?“
