Downton Abbey
The film begins in 1927 by following the journey of a letter from Buckingham Palace to Downton Abbey, a country estate in the county of Yorkshire owned by The Earls of Grantham. As the mail is sorted and loaded onto the Mail Train in London, a stranger boards a carriage. The letter is delivered to Downton Abbey, received by Andy Parker, the footman and handed over to the butler, Thomas Barrow. The letter is handed to Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, as soon as he descends the stairs for breakfast. Robert reads the letter and announces to his daughter, Lady Mary Talbot, and son-in-law, Tom Branson, that King George and Queen Mary are coming to Downton as part of a royal tour through the country. Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Maud Bagshaw, is Robert’s cousin. However the two families have fallen out due to an inheritance issue. Robert tells his mother, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, that Maud is coming to Downton. She is shocked and perturbed by the news, believing Maud is cheating Robert out of his rightful inheritance. When the Royal Staff arrive; including the Royal Page of the Backstairs, the Queen’s Royal Dresser, and the King’s Royal Dresser, named Richard Ellis, the Downton staff is caught off guard by their arrogance.
Mary has become convinced Barrow is not stepping up to the mark and asks Mr Carson, the retired former butler of Downton Abbey, to return temporarily. Barrow, upset with being replaced, makes his feelings clear in a moment of rare candor between himself and Lord Grantham. Before leaving he informs them that the boiler is broken. Mary asks if Barrow will be sacked. However, Robert is impressed with Barrow’s integrity. The plumber arrives to fix the boiler and flirts with Daisy, setting off jealousy in her fiancé Andy, who purposely breaks the boiler again in anger.
Once the stranger who boarded the train has arrived in Downton village, he books a room overlooking the village greens and seeks out Tom, introducing himself as Major Chetwode. Tom is convinced he is one of the royal detectives checking up on him for the visit, but Mary sees Tom coming out of a pub with Major Chetwode and becomes suspicious. Before the Royal parade through Downton Village, Tom is followed by Mary in pursuit of Chetwode, who finds the King on his horse awaiting the Royal Artillery. Chetwode takes a pistol from his coat, aiming it at the King, when Tom tackles him to the ground, allowing Mary to kick it away. Chetwode is subsequently arrested. Tom meanwhile has met and formed a mutual attraction with Lady Bagshaw’s maid, Lucy Smith.
The household has been completely taken over by the Royal visitors and staff. During the festivities the King tells Robert’s son-in-law Bertie Pelham, the Marquess of Hexham, he is to accompany the Prince of Wales on a 3-month Tour of Africa. Edith is excited for Bertie but upset as she is now pregnant. In the garden Tom finds Princess Mary crying. Unaware of her identity, he approaches her, sparking up a conversation which inspires her to stay with her intolerable husband for the sake of the children. Edith’s ball gown arrives however, in a delivery mix up, she receives a similar dress for someone twice her size. Anna, realizing Miss Lorton is stealing from Downton Abbey, agrees to say nothing provided that Lorton returns the items and fits Edith’s dress by morning. Downstairs, the Downton staff has gathered in the cellar and agree to a plan from Anna and Mr. Bates to save Downton’s honour, but Mr Carson is concerned.
Mr Barrow and Mr Ellis trick most of the royal staff into traveling back to London as part of Anna and Bates’ plan to take back the household. The two men then two continue into York for a drink. While waiting for Ellis to return from visiting his nearby parents, Thomas Barrow meets Chris Webster, who invites him to a club. Barrow accepts and leaves a message for Ellis. Webster takes Barrow to a hidden nightclub called the “Turton”. The crowd inside is mostly men dancing together. Barrow and Webster begin to dance when the police storm the nightclub, throwing everyone into police vans. Mr Ellis witnesses the arrests and as the King’s Royal Valet gets Barrow released, after which the two confide in each other about their homosexuality. Later, Ellis gives Barrow a silver locket as a reminder until they meet again and kisses him.
At dinner the King comments on the difference from the planned menu and is impressed, praising Monsieur Courbet. Mr Molesley, quick to defend Downton, stops as he is carrying away a tray, to say that the dinner was actually prepared by Mrs Patmore and that the Downton staff were serving it. There is a stunned moment of absolute silence as Molesley realises he just spoke to the King without being asked. Extremely surprised and embarrassed, Robert apologises. The Queen, understanding his embarrassment, praises Mrs Patmore’s work and tells Cora that they are used to people behaving strangely around them. Violet is upset that Maud has chosen to name Lucy her heir over Robert. However, Isobel works out that Lucy is actually Maud’s illegitimate daughter. Maud confirms this to her and that she named Lucy heir out of love. Isobel insists she tell Violet, who is understanding when told. Henry Talbot arrives in time to accompany the family to Harewood. Princess Mary tells her parents she will stay with her husband and that Tom was an influence on her decision. She asks her father to say something nice to him. The King responds by approaching Tom and telling him he knows he “has more than one thing to thank him for”.
Mary asks her grandmother about a trip to London she made recently. Violet reluctantly tells Mary that she has had medical tests and doesn’t have much longer to live. Mary, while extremely upset, is calmed by Violet, who tells her how proud she is of her. Mary asks if they should keep Downton Abbey. Henry replies “we’re stuck with it, aren’t we?” Edith and Bertie are congratulated on their forthcoming child by the royal couple and told Bertie will not be going on tour. They ask Cora and Robert about the King’s change of mind. Cora tells them that while Bertie asked the King, she asked the Queen. Lucy enters the ballroom with a handkerchief for Maud as an excuse to watch the dancing. Tom admits that he wishes they could dance together. Lucy leaves the ballroom followed by Tom and the two have their dance on the terrace. Back at Downton Abbey, Mr Carson and his wife Mrs Hughes discuss the future of Downton. Carson promises that it will be standing for another hundred years, with the Crawley family still living in it.
Classification: PG