Downton Abbeychanged the lives of Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) and Lady Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael) in the same episode.Downton Abbeyseason 5’s Christmas special, “A Moorland Holiday,” brought the Crawley family to Brancaster Castle in Northumberland at the invitation ofLady Rose Aldridge (Lily James)and her in-laws, the Sinderbys.
After the tragicdeath of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens)at the end ofDownton Abbeyseason 3,Lady Mary spent the next couple of seasons mourning her husband before juggling two potential suitors, Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) and Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden). Yet neither were up to the mark for Mary.
Similarly, Lady Edith mourned the death of her lover, Michael Gregson (Charles Edwards), and spentDownton Abbeyseasons 4 and 5 hiding the truth about their daughter, Marigold (Eva and Karina Samms). The Crawleys' visit to Brancaster Castle at the end ofDownton Abbeyseason 5 sawMary and Edith both meet their future husbands,
Lady Mary Met Her Second Husband In Downton Abbey’s Season 5 Christmas Special
Matthew Goode Joined Downton As Henry Talbot
Lady Mary met her second husband, Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode), inDownton Abbeyseason 5’s Christmas special. Talbot and his companion, Charlie Rogers (Sebastian Dunn), were friends of Lady Rose’s husband, Atticus Aldridge (Matt Barber).Henry and Mary shared an instant attraction and chemistrywhile grouse shooting, and they courted throughoutDownton Abbeyseason 6.
Mary’s first husband, Matthew Crawley, died in a car crash.
However, Henry was a driver who loved racing, and Charlie Rogers' tragic death during a race at Brooklands made Mary decide she couldn’t marry Talbot. Eventually, however, Mary relented, and she and Henry married at the end ofDownton Abbeyseason 6. In1927, Henry and Mary had a daughter named Caroline, as seen in the2019Downton Abbeymovie.
Lady Edith Also Met Her Husband In Downton Abbey’s Season 5 Christmas Special
Harry Hadden-Paton Joined Downton As Bertie Pelham
Lady Mary simultaneously met her husband, Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton), inDownton Abbeyseason 5’s Christmas special. Bertie was the land agent of Brancaster Castle, and he was a cousin to the new Marquess of Hexam.Bertie and Edith began dating after seeing each other in London, although Mary cruelly told Bertie that Marigold was Edith’s daughter before Edith could.
Bertie suddenly became the new Marquess of Hexamwhen his cousin unexpectedly died in Tangiers. Bertie broke Edith’s heart by breaking off their engagement because she didn’t tell him about Marigold. At Mary’s insistence, Bertie begged Edith’s forgiveness, and they were married at the end ofDownton Abbeyseason 6, making Lady Edith the new Marchioness of Hexam.
Edith’s Marriage In Downton Abbey Was More Successful Than Mary’s
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Reveals Mary Is Divorced
Although Lady Mary and Lady Edith were both madly in love with their new husbands, Mary’s second marriage failed.Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’s trailer reveals thatMary and Henry Talbot are divorced by 1930. Henry only briefly appeared inDownton Abbey(2019), but he was still smitten by Mary. InDownton Abbey: A New Era, however, Mary lamented that the absent Henry loved cars more than her.
Meanwhile, Lady Edith’s marriage to her devoted Bertie is still going strong, and there is no hint of marital trouble between the Hexams inDownton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Considering how favored Lady Mary was throughoutDownton Abbey,it’s ironic that Mary’s two marriages ended while the long-suffering Edith found enduring happiness with her husband and children.
