When Holly Carter ('99 Ph.D.) visits her parents in Wichita Falls, she usually stops by the UNT campus in Denton, especially Chilton Hall.

"I sit in that hall sometimes and think about all the things that happened in that one building that influenced my life," she says.

In that place, she took classes for her doctorate in medical sociology. She met so many people, such as the visiting professor from the University of Glasgow who worked there.

"And he had a dog. And I always liked to go pet this dog. I started talking to him, and he was from Scotland," she says. "That's what started my interest in the United Kingdom."

Carter now spends most of her time in a more elaborate building -- an actual castle just an hour from London. Carter works for Emma Manners, the 11th Duchess of Rutland, at Belvoir Castle. The castle, which has been the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Rutland since 1703, was originally built in 1067 and has been reconstructed several times through the centuries.

Working there has been quite the adventure for Carter, whose career focused on public health science and international education.

"Belvoir Castle is a long way from home, and the Duchess of Rutland is an amazing person to work for but someone I never thought I would even meet, being from a small town in North Texas," she says.

International Affairs

While Carter was studying for her dissertation -- "when you had to do it on floppy disks" -- her subject focused on healthcare in the United Kingdom. 

Under the guidance of sociology professor Susan Eve, Carter examined how race, class and gender were affected by market-driven reforms coming from Thatcher-era U.K. Her talks with the Scottish professor led her to earn a scholarship to study at the University of Glasgow.

After graduation, she took a job in London and taught there for several years before coming back to the U.S., working for several colleges. She spent most of her career in international education, helping Americans study around the world. She even worked in France, which she often visited as a child since her uncle lived there. In 2015, she returned to the U.K. to serve as executive director and dean for Harlaxton College in Grantham, England.

While working there, Carter was invited to a black-tie dinner for the foundation, American Friends of Belvoir Castle. She met the duchess, and they became good friends, with the duchess inviting her to lunches and other events.

Carter began helping with the foundation, and her role now encompasses everything from finance to working with American guests.

"Any given day can be absolutely anything in the castle. You do not know how your day will be when you wake up in the morning."

Working in a Fairy Tale

But one thing is evident -- her workplace is majestic.

"It's everything you want a castle to be like when you dream in your head. It looks like a fairy tale castle."

Her favorite part is its roof.

"I've had a couple of meetings up there. Sometimes the Duchess starts up there looking for something, and then you end up on the roof talking," she says. "And you can see as far as the eye can see. It's unbelievable, the views. This part of England is really, really beautiful -- rolling hills and a lot of farmlands."

And the inside is just as spectacular. She can't pick her favorite spot.

"Oh, God, it'd be hard to choose," she says. "Probably the Elizabeth Saloon. Everyone will tell you that, because it's like a French-inspired room that is very ornate with beautiful painted ceilings."

The castle puts on numerous events, from athletic competitions to hot air balloon festivals to a flower and garden show. It even boasts its own animal park.

"All those things are amazing, but the best part of Belvoir is just being here with the other people who work here. And knowing that you're a tiny part of the history of the place," she says. "There'll be a day where someone will say, 'Oh yeah, this American woman from Texas worked here, and she helped with the foundation.' My favorite times are just the normal days where a bunch of dedicated people are in here, making a castle work."