By Lisa McLoughlin

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Descendants of the famous Guinness family joined actors and creatives at the London launch of House of Guinness, Netflix’s new period drama tracing the 19th-century rise of the brewery empire in Dublin and New York.

House Of Guinness brings to life the real scandals, power struggles and generational secrets of Ireland’s most famous family.

The series reimagines the fallout from Sir Benjamin Guinness’s death, set against the backdrop of 19th-century Dublin and New York.

On Tuesday night at Picturehouse Central, the Guinness lineage turned the brown-toned carpet into a family affair.

Lady Mary Charteris, Daphne Guinness, Lord Ned Iveagh, Ivana Lowell, Jasmine Guinness and Celeste Guinness posed together in a display as stylish as it was eclectic.

Lady Mary, 38, daughter of James Charteris and Guinness heir Jonathan Guinness’s daughter Catherine, has built her own career as a model, DJ and member of the electronic rock band The Big Pink.

Meanwhile, handbag designer Daphne, 57, the daughter of Jonathan Guinness and Suzanne Lisney and granddaughter of Diana Mitford, showcased her trademark style for the occasion in a short tuxedo.

Jasmine Guinness, 48, daughter of Patrick Guinness and Liz Casey, chose an elegant one-shouldered black gown with a Grecian drape, while Edward, 56, 4th Earl of Iveagh and son of Benjamin Guinness, looked relaxed in a grey suit and blue shirt.

Brewery heiress Celeste Guinness, 35, made the boldest statement in a black satin suit patched with Guinness motifs and finished with a punk-inspired shaggy mullet.

Ivana Lowell, daughter of novelist Lady Caroline Blackwood and granddaughter of one of the “golden Guinness girls” Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, shined in a black sequin gown for the evening.

Lowell conceived the series after watching Downton Abbey and realising her own family’s history was, as she puts it, “juicier and more interesting.”

She penned a 20-page treatment that caught the attention of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Determined not to cast her ancestors as outright villains, she told BBC earlier this week: “Any business person has to be ruthless, especially in those times.”

She added that today’s Guinness family are unfazed by the show’s warts-and-all approach: “We are not high and mighty about our reputation, we have a very good sense of humour about ourselves.”

Knight praised Lowell’s input: “Ivana is an absolute mine of information and untold stories about the family going back years. Meeting her was the best bit of research imaginable because you didn’t just get the stories, you got the [family] confidence, and the spirit and the slight madness… I was hooked.

Elsewhere on the carpet, British actor James Norton said he “worked hard” to perfect his Dublin accent for his upcoming series House Of Guinness.

Norton, 40, plays Sean Rafferty, foreman of the Guinness brewery, in the eight-part Netflix series and said he was adamant to get the accent right.

“I worked hard. I was aware that many actors have gotten it wrong, and the Irish are a proud bunch so if you get it wrong, you hear about it,” Norton told the PA news agency.

“I worked hard and had great guidance from my fellow cast members.”

The show explores the impact of Sir Benjamin’s will on the futures of his four adult children: Arthur, played by Derry Girls actor Anthony Boyle; Edward, portrayed by Enola Holmes star Louis Partridge; Anne, played by The Responder actress Emily Fairn; and Benjamin, portrayed by Normal People actor Fionn O’Shea.

Boyle, 31, who leads the series, said he is particularly proud that the programme showcases Irish culture.

“I’m really, really proud Irish culture is having such an amazing moment right now on the global stage and I feel really, really proud of having artists like Kneecap and Fontaines DC being on the soundtrack. It’s class.”

Knight, 66, who is writing the script for the next James Bond film, said the series’ ability to showcase Irish culture is like a “Christmas present”.

“It’s not an effort to force it in, it’s already there. And then there’s that whole generation of Irish music, along with this incredible generation of young Irish actors,” he said.

Knight added that the Guinness family provided an excellent stimulus for dramatic storytelling.

“I was immediately surprised no one’s done this because the story is dynamite, the characters are so interesting and the dynamic of the family. It’s all there ready for you,” he said.

“There’s the reading of the will, which is a dramatic moment. Sir Benjamin Guinness leaves millions of pounds, along with land, lakes and castles. Yet his four children are all left unhappy with the terms. They must then go on and live their lives. It’s fantastic.”

House Of Guinness premieres on Netflix on Thursday