Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale - What to know before watching the movie

Finally, the last film of the franchise, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, has been released on 12th September 2025.

Two films were made previously, namely Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: New Era (2022). The film franchise was created from the original TV series of the same name, spanning from 2010 to 2015. After the conclusion of the series, the storyline continued in the films.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is helmed by Simon Curtis. It follows the plot of how the future of Downton Abbey changes as Lady Mary Talbot, the oldest daughter of the Crawley household, breaks tradition. This leads to the aristocratic family facing ostracization and shame.

Keep reading to find out more about Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, along with the franchise's history.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — Here's all about the latest historical drama, and its origins

If you are interested in watching Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale but are not well-versed in its origin and context, you do not need to worry. Let us take an overview of the plot and characters of its world.

The storyline of the original series is set in the early 20th century and is located in an imaginary country estate in Yorkshire, known as Downton Abbey. Within the affluent Crawley family, the series explores the politics of the hegemonic structures within British society. It showcases the relationship shared between the aristocrats and the workers.

Throughout the series, we witness how the family and workers overcome historical calamities, encompassing wars, epidemics, and scandals. Historical events such as the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), the 1918–1920 flu pandemic, the Beer Hall Putsch (1923), and the Titanic ship tragedy (1912), to name a few.

The Downton Abbey series is split into six seasons, consisting of 52 episodes and 5 Christmas Special episodes. Let us now explore the primary characters of the series.

The head of the Crawley family is the Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley (played by Hugh Bonneville), the son of the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet (played by Maggie Smith). Robert also has a sister named Lady Rosamund Painswick (played by Samantha Bond).

Lord Grantham's wife is the Countess of Grantham, Cora Crawley (played by Elizabeth McGovern). Together, they have three daughters: Lady Sybil Branson (played by Jessica Brown Findlay), Lady Edith Pelham (played by Laura Carmichael), and Lady Mary Talbot (played by Michelle Dockery).

In the residence, the agent of the estate, Tom Branson (played by Allen Leech), was initially the family's chauffeur. However, he loved and married the youngest daughter of the family, Lady Sybil Branson. Together, the couple has a daughter. Unfortunately, Sybil faces her unfortunate death in Season 3, and Tom names their daughter 'Sybil' in memory of her late mother.

The middle child of the family, Lady Edith, experiences a blissful marriage with the 7th Marquess of Hexham, Bertie Pelham (played by Harry Hadden-Paton).

In Season 3, the family's eldest daughter, Lady Mary, gets married to Matthew Crawley (played by Dan Stevens), a distant relative. However, after his unfortunate demise in a car crash, Lady Mary gets married for the second time in her life, to Henry Talbot (played by Matthew Goode), by the time Season 6 takes place.

The Crawley family's butler, Charles Carson (played by Jim Carter), is a highly respected and trusted member of the family. He has been a crucial witness and a strong supporter of the family across all ages. After the retirement of Carson, a man named Thomas Barrow (played by Rob James-Collier) is brought in to fill his shoes.

But problems arose with the arrival of Barrow. However, towards the end, he restores people's faith in him. Barrow is a person who struggles with acceptance in the heteronormative society due to his gay identity. He faces anti-gay violence, such as gay conversion therapy, and has also been battling suicidal ideations.

In the meantime, Lady Mary's close friend and her handmaiden, Anna, marries the valet and friend of Lord Gratham, Mr. Bates (played by Brendan Coyle). Barrow, along with Miss O'Brien (played by Siobhan Finneran), the handmaiden of Lady Cora Crawley, gang up together to conspire against Bates as well.

In the rest of the cast and characters, we have Mrs. Patmore (played by Lesley Nicol), the head of the kitchen. Along with her, we have Daisy (played by Sophie McShera), who marries the second butler, Andy Parker (played by Michael Fox).

After the series concluded in 2015, the storyline continued in the films. The cast members continue with their roles in the films. The newly released film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, is a follow-up to the second film, Downton Abbey: New Era.

The rest of the cast of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale also includes: