Tutankhamun could have been lost forever If they hadn't discovered it there is every chance it would not have been discovered by today. These two men did us an extraordinary service. The frail earl died in April 1923, a high-profile victim of the supposed curse of Tutankhamun. Having died in mysterious circumstances in 1323 BC at the age of 19, Tutankhamun was buried in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Raided twice by robbers in the months following his death, the entrance of the tomb was resealed to protect it from further plunder. It was buried under debris and huts for workers were built over the tomb, in an indication that what lay beneath had by then been forgotten. Until November 4 1922 when Carter, who had persuaded the earl to fund one last dig despite years of disappointment, discovered steps. After careful preparations they opened the burial chamber containing the sarcophagus of the boy king four months later in February 1923. "Obviously Tutankhamun is an iconic pharaoh and the mask of Tutankhamun is one of the most iconic images in the world," Lord Carnarvon said. But it is forgotten that Carter and my great grandfather had a lot to do with the discovery. (Today) you can (still) go across the Nile in a boat but on the other side it is in an air-conditioned car. When they went out it was a long journey. Lord Carnarvon believes that his great-grandfather's death, from blood poisoning and pneumonia caused by an infected mosquito bite on his face, was "coincidental" and not dow the the curse. But he said it did not stop his "superstitious" grandfather, the sixth earl, from trying to bury links with Egypt. Many of the artefacts brought back from the tomb were sold to cover death duties and others were hidden around the family seat, Highclere Castle in Berkshire, better known to millions as the setting for popular ITV period drama Downton Abbey. "My grandfather was a bit superstitious about it and wouldn't speak to me about it a great deal," Lord Carnarvon said. But after his death we found artefacts here in 1987 and 1988 that had been hidden for 60 years. On Monday, Lord Carnarvon will welcome dignitaries including the Egyptian ambassador to Highclere Castle to celebrate the anniversary and show off the family's collection.