Charity Benefits From Downton Abbey’s Bottle Blunder

By Staff on Saturday, August 16, 2014

The cast of Downton Abbey embraced ‘water bottle-gate’ today by posing for a picture to promote the work of international charity WaterAid.

A publicity still released this week hit the headlines when a plastic water bottle was spotted in the corner of the picture.

Perched on a mantelpiece behind Hugh Bonneville and Laura Carmichael, the bottle was spotted by eagle-eyed fans when the image was posted on Instagram.

The official photograph of The Earl and Lady Edith was cropped and used during the launch of the new season, but it was when an un-cropped version of the image worked its way onto the internet that it sparked a global press frenzy.

Downton Abbey employs its own expert, Alastair Bruce, who is in charge of historical accuracy and etiquette.

‘But this is not the series’ first historical blooper, with previous episodes featuring television aerials, double-yellow lines and even a modern conservatory,’ reports the BBC.

A spokesman for the show said, “It’s testament to the huge success of Downton that something like this makes headlines around the world. While the water bottle is in the uncropped version of a publicity photograph we can assure you that it will not be making an appearance on screen’.

An ITV spokesperson said, “After seeing the reaction the picture caused earlier this week, the cast and crew came up with the idea of turning some of this attention towards an issue around water that really matters. They hope that by posing for this picture they will be able to raise awareness and amplify the work of international charity – WaterAid.”