Viking Cruises has extended its partnership with Highclere Castle, a Jacobethan-style country house well-known as the setting of Downton Abby. From this relationship, Viking has become a headline sponsor of “Heroes at Highclere”: a charity weekend to mark 100 years since the end of World War I.
The event will feature representatives from more than 20 countries, and it’ll include thousands of visitors for a fundraising weekend to commemorate veterans of all wars and those serving today. The money raised will go to charities, including Combat Stress, Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), The Royal British Legion, The U.K. Sepsis Trust and RAF100 Appeal, as well as one in the U.S.
The commemoration will happen both on the ground and in the sky, as there will be a variety of old planes for showing (Europe’s only airworthy B17 will fly over the castle both days), and a new airman memorial structure will be dedicated by the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. A game of football, a sport of teamwork and comradery, will symbolize the one Christmastime game during World War I, where both sides stopped fighting for a friendly match. Music such as the Gatsby Girls will be other available entertainment.
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