Vanity Fair UK - 09.2019

George V and Queen Mary made to Went­
worth Woodhouse, a country house in
Yorkshire, in 1912—to “restate the impor­
tance of monarchy,” according to Fel­
lowes. Like the real trip, Downton Abbey’s
royal extravaganza includes a spectacular
parade—created with hundreds of extras
in period­precise costumes, cannons,
and horses—and white­tie wining and
dining. The event is so large in scale that
Carson, the family’s beloved former butler
played by Jim Carter, comes out of a palsy­
induced retirement to return to Downton
and ensure that nary a teaspoon is out
of place. “Mary reaches out for her hero

Carson to save the day,” explains Michelle

Dockery of her character, who has taken

over estate reins. “I love that relationship

between Mary and Carson—it’s one of the

lovely moments of the film.”

Dame Maggie Smith, as the dowager

countess and resident queen of lethal

quip, gets a new sparring partner in

Imelda Staunton, who plays the dowa­

ger’s distant cousin Lady Bagshaw. (A bit

of Downton trivia: Staunton is marri ed to

Jim Carter in real life.) Director Michael

Engler expects that the cousins locking

haughty horns will especially delight

Downton diehards. And fans need not

worry for Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael),

Lady Mary’s long­suffering sister who

ended up marrying a marquess. “The deli­

cious irony of where we left the TV series

was that the most socially vibrant of the

family ended up being the one who had

the least success in love before,” says

Hugh Bonneville, who plays Crawley

pat ri arch Lord Grantham, adding: “Little

flashes of sibling rivalries still return when

Edith visits. But on the whole, the family

is pulling together in the right direction

and the forces of drama are actually exter­

nal, which is quite fun. It’s sort of Downton

versus the world.” —julie miller

“The f amily is pull ing together

in the right direction and the forces

of drama are external, which is quite fun.”

MASTERPIECE

CINEMA

The Crawleys

and the staff of

Downton. For

who’s who, see

page 129.

118 VANITY FAIR SEPTEMBER 2019

COSTUME DESIGNER, ANNA MARY SCOTT ROBBINS; DRESSERS, FINN M

cCLEAVE AND GEORGINA

BROWN; HAIR AND MAKEUP DESIGNER, ANNE OLDHAM; SET DECORATOR, GINA CROMWELL