IN some cases there are indeed titles that pass through the maternal line such is the case of Mountbatten of Burma Louis Mountbatten having no sons, his eldest daughter is recognized as Countess Mountbatten of Burma in the letters patent. I cannot resist: were the fictional Downton Abbey valet Mr. Bates to sire male issue, would the boy at some point be styled or called Master Bates?. When Will 'Jesus Revolution' Movie Be Streaming? Her mother-in-law is called Cora, Countess of Grantham. It just isnt done. If Lord Grantham were to die, George would be the Earl of grantham. So, go peddle your coarse garbage elsewhere! As our fictional Downton storyline goes, Robert is the 7th Earl and finds himself without heir. But would that be the ending that Edith deserves? A peeress may be addressed as Your Ladyship or Madam. However I like the titles of earl countess baron baroness sir lady. Robert dies. Was it tradition back then to use the womens last name? A courtesy title doesnt mean the holder is a peer. So Edith gave her lady's maid time off for the duration of Edith's trip to Downton. Scan this QR code to download the app now. She should now that she has such a high status, but this particular Lady's Maid doesn't get much mention. I, toosomewhat uncharitably, I realizecracked up when the ceremony only got as far as Dearly beloved, we are gathered. (This is the second consecutive Downton reception weve been cheated out of. As his father had no title, only was heir, even if Robert had a second title, which he does not, George wouldnt have it. Photograph courtesy of . Can there be two people holding that title simultaneously? Thanks to his job, he knows tons of important people, travels all over the world, and speaks multiple languages. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Only married ladies had a personal lady's maid. Georges mother, now Lady Mary, does not hold a title. Of course, this new romance was also not without turmoil. The existence of two names both being used like a last name by the same family is odd to someone in a country with no titles- especially when the parents use one name but their children use another. At risk of being labelled a pedant, I would say that Downton Abbey is not set in the early 1900s, but in the early twentieth century, as the early 1900s would take us to 1905, and the current series is set in the early 1920s. She is the Countess of Grantham. The son of a valet would not have any titles, nor would anyone care what he was called. The rivalry between the two sisters is one of the most defining relationships for Mary throughout the series. One thing thats key to the show yet is not widely understood by many are the titles used by members of the family. Lord Granthams wife, Cora Crawley (played by Elizabeth McGovern) is known asLady Grantham. In which case, they would be identified by their order. On a related note, is there any change to Lady Marys address due to her being the widow of the late heir (Matthew Crawley) or the mother of the current heir? The title may only be passed to an heir apparent, thus a son of the current Earl, as it is always possible for heir apparent to be born to the earl even up to 9 months after his death the heir presumptive would never be given the title. Maybe Edith's lady's maid is new and she doesn't quite trust her to do her best when she's going to be seeing the King and Queen. is never taken to task for the comments she makes putting her little sister down. And when she actually met someone who liked her, he was driven off by Mary, who was angry at Edith for revealing that Mary's romantic activities were so amazing that they killed a Turkish guy. With rapier wit, effortless beauty, and keen social. I sorta left some parts out: they get an official ladys maid when theyre married or reach a certain age. Downton Abbey's Lady Edith finally got her happy ending in tonight's emotional last ever episode. Nothing. What about Sybil? Unless she marries a peer, and has that title, could become a Duchess or Countess, but can never be Dowager Countess of Grantham. If Downton is the estate and Roberts last name and his fathers last name is Crawley, is Earl of Grantham the title itself awarded by a monarch as you described? And yet, when Fellowes was interviewed about Edith, he claims that nothing could be further from the truth. 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Cora wake up! I dont know any of this for certain but this is what I believe to be the case. But after Mary married Matthew, Anna was promoted to be Mary's personal lady's maid. But in time her sons wife could be. The article was so frustrating when it left that out. This theory all comes down to . I am not sure how common it was for a married woman to be in service and if the fact of being married had any impact on how they were addressed. I dont know why this is so but it is the tradition. 1. As she married two gentlemen with no title she was Lady Mary Crawley and Lady Mary Talbot. 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So sad that she almost burned the house down by accident. 1,804, This story has been shared 1,592 times. I explore that reality in my book, My Sister, My Self: The Surprising Ways That Being an Older, Middle, Younger, or Twin Shaped Your Life. The junior staff are called by their first names by all. But before that, like Im the case of Mary, the senior housemaid would be an acting ladys maid. It might be better to take out the part about the two living daughters of the Earl and Countess of Grantham as that is quite a major spoiler for anyone who is in the middle of watching the show, as I am. Sibling rivalries are fairly normal, but these two take it to a whole other level. If it is Earl of (name) (Earl of Avon, Earl of Oxford) it is almost always a place. Until next week. You see, Edith may not be lucky, but she is not stupid, and she had come to understand that when one disappears into post-WWI Germany after being last seen with some disagreeable fellows in brown shirts, one may never be seen again. Alas, no. That would be nice, except it seems clear from the start of season five that Edith is sadder than ever. Unlucky in love, unlucky in life. So Georges wife would be known as the Countess of Grantham, and both Cora and Violet would be known as the dowager, unless they had to be identified apart in which case it theyd be known as Cora Crawley, 7th Countess of Grantham and Violet Crawley, 6th Countess of Grantham. And what about Mary? Another case is that some of the Scottish Earldoms, such as the Earldom of Newburgh. But then I keep running into the same problem-why doesn't that lady's maid come to Downton with her in the film? When they travel to another household with their Lord/Lady, the servants are addressed using the title of their Lord/Lady, (e.g., Mr. Bates would be addressed as Mr. Grantham). also to be noted a Lord of the Manor is not a peer. I feel like Ive seen all their tricks before. 2,664, This story has been shared 2,161 times. Titles do not necessarily have any connection to the location of the owner of a title. It is oddly her grandmother, the Dowager Countess, who seems to understand most fully that Edith's options are limited, and that this is not to be taken as a happy thing, only one the D.C. would argue cannot be changed. Her only real sin in five seasons has been to vindictively reveal that Mr. Pamuk died in Lady Marys bed, and that action was born out of bitterness and resentment. The show has always made a point of depicting her as a bitter loser, which is not only unkind, but unfair. Mr. Carson is Lady Mary's father. The only way she would gain a title is if a title is bestowed on Henry by the monarch or if she marries a person of title in later life such as has happened to Isobelle Crawley, now Lady Merton. And then they rolled up the rugs on Ediths before it even began.). Gladys Denker is a maid to the Dowager Countess. Most of the other underdogs on Downton Abbey eventually get their due. Lady's maids were often held onto even when the rest of the staff were decreasing rapidly, and a marchioness would certainly be expected to have one. As for Mary and Edith, they began to realize the importance of their bond as sisters. As Carmichael told the Radio Times (via The Telegraph) when speaking about Dockery, she said, "We definitely have a different way. Maybe he'll die! Privacy Policy. I understand that they are called Lord and Lady Grantham, I just dont understand why they go by Violets last name. Let us return to when we met Edith, four seasons ago. She's unluckier than Bates, and he went to jail for something he didn't do, for what certainly felt like a really, really long time. SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you! There is also Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith) who is Lord Granthams mother and the wife of the previous Lord Grantham. As it happened, Edith couldn't stay away from the child and became a constant presence at the Drewes. 1 level 1 [deleted] 11,875, This story has been shared 6,465 times. Being American, I fear I have a rather limited understanding of the British system regarding the bestowing of titles. Netflix's 'Money Shot' Documentary Trailer Shines A Harsh Light On Pornhub, The "Most Trafficked Website In The World", 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? They wrapped up Mrs. Hughes health scare lickety splitId thought that would last all season. Interestingly, if Lord Grantham had a son, he would go by the title ofLord Downton (fully as Viscount Downton)because Lord Grantham also holds this as whats called a subsidiary title which is like a secondary, lesser title. Now that the eldest girl has the same succession rights as the eldest boy in the royal family, has this affected the eldest girl of an earl or duke so they too take the highest secindary title instead of Lady + first name? Kois: Seth, I wonder about this, too. 1 Comment. Violet remains the Dowager Countess of Grantham. After all, she has a wealthy grandmother and uncle in New York City and they arent ones for convention. Due to the familys commitment to avoiding any unpleasantness, the only thing that could mitigate this dynamic, the intervention of the parents, does not take place. Only his present wife is the Princess of Wales. I still stick with my original theory-that her lady's maid isn't a full-time one like Anna, but that a housemaid might help her or she shares Bertie's mother's lady's maid. She is not a Princess. ), and had a thing for her (yay! But what if everyones assumptions about Bates are exactly right? So if you hear a woman addressed as Lady Roger or Lady George that is not her name or title, but the name of her husband (Thank you Dorothy Sayers, for that one). But because there is such a narrow idea in her family of what constitutes success, her writing career has never been more than tepidly received, and certainly is understood to be a poor substitute for multiple pregnancies when it comes to getting some meaning in her life. The two living daughters have to be addressed normally as Lady Mary and Lady Edith and by servants as MiLady and not as you said: Your Ladyship, because that is only for the countess and dowager countess. Im much more interested in the potential below-stairs courtship of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes. Elizabeth McGovern as Lady Cora, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, and Dame Maggie Smith as Lady Violet. Another old custom, often written into the fathers will when a daughter inherits estate & titles with no surviving brothers, and then marries. Takedown request | View complete answer on downtonabbey.fandom.com. The show, which gives a look at the life of the Crawleys, a fictional aristocratic family who run and own the Downton estate. It was the same thing when Charles and Diana divorced. But because Edith is Edith, he dumped her at the altar in front of her horrified family, humiliating her in front of the very people who already felt sorry for her and considered her a lost cause who would be better off as the spinster they expected her to become than as the wife of this older disabled veteran (and shame on them, by the way). I can just imagine the googly eyes! Oops! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. But then I thought, maybe Julian Fellowes will pull the rug out from all of us, force them to live in this still completely gigantic mansion with a mere 8 servants, and rename the show Downton Place! Even Molesley, who could be considered the Jerry of Downton Abbeyhasstarted to win the admiration of the new lady maid, Baxter. I think he still addresses them by their formal names but I intend to pay particular attention from now on. My understanding is that the family name is Grantham and that Lady Mary married Matthew Crawley. Thank you so much! Robert Crawley is an Earl, his wife is a Countess, and his mother is the Dowager Countess. If not, why don't they? In a bit of a confusing adjunct to this, when the wife has no title of her own, the wife of a younger son is addressed as Lady (first name of husband). It's a good thought, but I think that's the sort of thing she might to at the beginning of the show, to prove her importance and compete with Mary, but her whole character arc over the series and film shows her becoming more modern, learning that not everything important is about fancy clothes and large drawing rooms, and having a life outside of her battle with her older sister. The complete crackpot theory is that this was a cover for Matthews infertility, which the doctors wouldnt disclose to him, presumably to preserve his 1920s masculinity. This story has been shared 18,354 times. But really, this is one of the first times Edith has well and truly made her own decision, in defiance of her family, and has taken care of business, as it were. Good point. All rights reserved. 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Then, Edith met Bandages McGee (not his real name, probably), who either was or was not her dead wealthy cousin, making him a perfect romantic prospect. Lady Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexam (Laura Carmichael) announced that she and her husband Bertie Pelham, Marquess of Hexam, are pregnant. Thank you and all at Royal Central for the entertainment and education. They divorced. If so, who are they? When Tom Branson was the chauffeur the family called him Branson. Elizabeth McGovern as Lady Cora, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, and Dame Maggie Smith as Lady Violet. The family of a Lord of the Manor have no courtesy titles, so their daughters would remain as is a Lordship of the Manor can be left to anyone and is transferred just like any other type of property and can be left in a will. Lady Marys son George is only five years old in the series finale of Downton Abbey. It's mentioned in series 4 (IIRC) - Lady Mary ask Anna to look after Rose while they are in London because they can't take Madge away from Lady Edith who is staying at Downton Abbey. At the head of the family is Lord Grantham,whos name is Robert Crawley (played by Hugh Bonneville). He conveniently falls in love with Lady Mary, eldest daughter of Robert, and their boy child George now is heir perceptive to the seat and title. Kois: The sight of Carson singing merrily to himself once he heard Mrs. Hughes was OK warmed my heart. Peers typically use their title as a surname when they need one though legally their surname would remain as their family name. Robert is the 7th Earl of Grantham, making Cora the 7th Countess of Grantham, assuming of course that there has never been a divorce or death which has resulted in a remarriage. Have we ever heard Lady Grantham refer to the Dowager by any name? Titles cannot be passed through the mother only through the father. Edith (played superbly by Laura Carmichael) has always been the quiet rebel in the family--unlike the sprightly Lady Rose who was ready to marry a black man, partly to shock her mother--and we have been waiting for this all along since Lady Edith began her relationship with a married editor, Michael. Now, what does any of this have to do with Downton Abbey? Brigitte Zaugg, author of the journal article "The Art of Irresolution in Edith Wharton's 'The Lady's Maid's Bell'", presents an enlightened . Thomas: Im glad that Mrs. Hughes lump turned out to be benign. 3 throughout "The Lady's Maid's Bell", and Stengel would perhaps say she is plagued by . Denker and Spratts unprofessional squabbles wouldve gotten plenty of other servants fired, but fans believe the Dowager Countess keeps them employed for her own amusement. So, at that point, I assume she doesn't. A peer only ever uses their most senior title. Hope you are doing well. Ex-wife Dana is now styled Diana, Princess of Wales. Why doesn't Lady Edith have a lady's maid? Well, the countys name is Grantham so, obviously, the Robert is Lord of Grantham. As days go by, the bell that connects Alice's room to Mrs. Brymptom's rings at night inexplicably, and Alice hears footsteps coming from the locked door across the hall from her - the former room of Emma Saxon. The Earl of Grantham is a peer and the eldest son of the Earl of Grantham would be styled Viscount Downton, however the Viscount Downton wouldnt be a peer as he is using the title by right of his father, who actually is the title holder. Julian Fellowes's historical drama about a family of aristocrats and their many servants could never resist a good shocker, and it deployed plenty of them over the course of six seasons. Francine may require the help of her eccentric nouveau riche best friend, Cuddles (Edith Massey), to discover the truth. This sub-plot mirrors the truth about what goes on in so many families, where often an older sister is ruthless in her need to keep her rivals head underwater so she can shine. Upon learning Ediths secret, Rosamund travels to Downton Abbey to help her niece through her pregnancy, and suggests adoption options as the due date draws near. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Applying the Bare-Minimum Monday Philosophy to Relationships, Mass Shooters and the Myth That Evil Is Obvious, Transforming Empathy Into Compassion: Why It Matters, New Years Eve Survival Guide for the Heartbroken. Since Its never states the ages of Robert and Cora I assume that Cora is no longer able to have children but like a son if they had on George is Vicount Dowton. As both are the daughters of an Earl, they use the title Lady in front of their names. Nick Briggs/PBS In the film they seem to be pretty good friends (despite having previously attempted to ruin each other's lives on multiple occasions), so I don't think she would insist on having one just to spite Mary with her high status and number of servants.