Lady Dawn Russell lives a life any Downton Abbey fanatic would dream of: an American who married English aristocrat Lord James Russell, she counts Woburn Abbey as a family gathering place and incredible "playground" for their sons, 5-year-old Alexander and 2-year-old Leo. But the fairy tale world is only one chapter in Russell's extraordinary journey. At 25, she was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphatic cancer - a turning point that changed her path. "It was this flip in my life," Russell, 41, tells People in this week's issue. Living in New York and working as a model at the time of her diagnosis,...
- 2/20/2016
- by Michelle Tauber, @michelletauber
- PEOPLE.com
No Kissing the Butler! Lady Dawn Russell's Do's and Don'ts for Life as an American-Turned-Aristocrat
Downton Abbey fans know that life in an English stately home comes with its own particular set of rules. Before she was Lady Dawn Russell - technically, Lady James Russell after marrying her husband, Lord James Russell, in 2005 - American Dawn Russell had spent most of her time traveling the world with her "free spirit" mom and attending various boarding schools. But after she and James (who goes by Jamie) got serious, she was introduced to his family home: historic Woburn Abbey, where he was born and raised. (Sidenote: The estate, which has ties to King Henry VIII, features a...
- 2/19/2016
- by Michelle Tauber, @michelletauber
- PEOPLE.com
The series finale of Downton Abbey is fast approaching, but for Dawn Russell it's simply a way of life.
The American mom of two became "Lady James Russell" in 2005 when she married Lord James Russell, a member of one of England's oldest noble families.
Jamie's oldest brother, Andrew, is the current Duke of Bedford and resides in the historic Woburn Abbey, located an hour north of London. Although Dawn, Jamie and their two boys live primarily in London, Woburn (pronounced Wo-bun) is the Russell family home and the site of Christmas celebrations, four-wheeling on the vast grounds (15,000 acres in total!
The American mom of two became "Lady James Russell" in 2005 when she married Lord James Russell, a member of one of England's oldest noble families.
Jamie's oldest brother, Andrew, is the current Duke of Bedford and resides in the historic Woburn Abbey, located an hour north of London. Although Dawn, Jamie and their two boys live primarily in London, Woburn (pronounced Wo-bun) is the Russell family home and the site of Christmas celebrations, four-wheeling on the vast grounds (15,000 acres in total!
- 2/18/2016
- by Michelle Tauber, @michelletauber
- People.com - TV Watch
The series finale of Downton Abbey is fast approaching, but for Dawn Russell it's simply a way of life. The American mom of two became "Lady James Russell" in 2005 when she married Lord James Russell, a member of one of England's oldest noble families. Jamie's oldest brother, Andrew, is the current Duke of Bedford and resides in the historic Woburn Abbey, located an hour north of London. Although Dawn, Jamie and their two boys live primarily in London, Woburn (pronounced Wo-bun) is the Russell family home and the site of Christmas celebrations, four-wheeling on the vast grounds (15,000 acres in total!
- 2/18/2016
- by Michelle Tauber, @michelletauber
- PEOPLE.com
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