Who is violet in downton abbey

Not every burn of the Dowager's is directed at a person, sometimes she just has to go after the world at large. She is no fan of the changing times and has quite the disparaging attitude when it comes to new technology, including electricity. When viewers watch Violet use the phone for the first time they hear her say, "Is this an instrument of communication or torture? The Dowager Countess likes to be in control and be in on all the gossip. While she likes details and pays attention to the world around her, her old-fashioned views often lead her down the wrong path.

After firing a member of her household staff for something that the man didn't do Isobel chides Violet saying, "How you hate to be wrong.

Oddly enough when Matthew is finally prepared to get together with Mary, it is Mary who delays in offering the young man her answer. When Violet hears about this she, shockingly, encourages her granddaughter to accept Matthew. Matthew's mother, Isobel, however, believes Violet is one of the people encouraging Mary to delay.

Violet won't hear this insult against her person and sets Isobel straight. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. Violet admits that she is the one who sent Sybil and Branson the money they needed to return to Downton for the wedding. Her lady's maid, Smithers, wrote the letter, so that the handwriting could not be identified. Robert gets him to write to Edith and end their relationship, but Edith is devastated.

When Strallan is at the dinner, Violet voices her surprise, and Robert tells her that he relented and re-invited Strallan due to Martha's interfering. Sybil dies from eclampsia, after having given birth to a girl, and Violet is utterly smashed; giving a gasp and hobbling - old, worn down, and devastated - across the hall, she comforts her son when Cora blames him for Sybil's death. She tells Robert that blaming themselves is wrong.

By pressuring the family doctor, Richard Clarkson , to explain to Cora and Robert that Sybil's chances of survival would have been almost nil even if she had a Caesarean, she helps her son and daughter-in-law to overcome their estrangement. On learning from Robert that the estate's agent has resigned after a heated argument with Matthew over the running of the estate, she suggests making Tom Branson the new agent, because this would ensure his staying on at Downton together with his daughter, her great granddaughter.

Violet seeks to bring her granddaughter Mary out of mourning following Matthew's death by insisting she take a more active role in running the estate, insisting Tom be her instructor. She also puts Robert in his place when he tries to fight the fact that Mary owns half the estate per Matthew's wishes, as well as her attempts to take a more active role in running the estate. Violet meets a number of old friends, including Lady Shackleton and the Duchess of Yeovil. When Lady Shackleton joins Violet and Edith for lunch at the Dower House, Violet brings Molesley to help on the pretense that Lady Shackleton needs a butler and might hire him since he has been out of a job following Matthew's death , however Violet's butler, Spratt , sabotages Molesley's attempts out of fear Molesley wishes to take his own job.

Violet continues to push Tom into mingling with the upper classes, such as when she urges him to dance with the Duchess of Yeovil, and to not call her "Your Grace", as a servant would. Later, after her son leaves for America to visit his in-laws, Violet suddenly falls ill. Isobel selflessly nurses Violet through her illness, never leaving Violet's side. After she recuperates, the two women play cards together. Violet learns that Edith is pregnant with Michael Gregson's child, while Gregson himself has vanished in Germany.

Rosamund had proposed that Edith go abroad in order to cover up her pregnancy and have the child adopted. Violet admits, though she does not often agree with her daughter, in this case she does because Edith's reputation shall always be tarnished otherwise. Edith is not so keen on giving up her child and never seeing it again. Violet offers to pay for Edith's travel expenses, and also to support Edith if she decides to go searching for her love. Violet comforts her also in her grief, remarking that life is a series of problems that must be solved.

She is unhappy upon hearing from her son upon his return that the Levinsons are planning a visit in the summer of By the time of , eight months have passed. Violet tries to cheer up Edith once she returns from Geneva, having left her newborn daughter there.

Unfortunately, Violet does not make it any better by referring to the child as "it" rather than "she", and talking about Edith learning French, which was the cover story for the trip to the continent. Violet comes upon Tom in the village as he is speaking with a young woman, whom he introduces as Sarah Bunting , a schoolteacher. Violet barely hides her disapproval of Sarah and changes the subject by asking Tom if he will attend Rose's debutante ball.

Later, the time comes for Violet and Isobel to go to London for debutante season, Violet being annoyed that Cora insisted she do so without bringing a maid. Violet reunites with her old friend Igor Kuragin , who is one of many refugees who fled Russia following the Revolution. Kuragin spends more time with her, reminiscing to her of his lost status, his missing wife, and his old feelings for her.

Later, though his wife still has not been found, he tells Violet, to her shock, that he wants to spend his final years with her as a friend and lover. He asks her for an answer immediately, but she insists she needs time. Kuragin remains steadfast in his belief that her old feelings, like his, have not changed. Violet is upset that Edith brought Marigold back from Switzerland, and when Rosamund, who notes that Mrs Drewe is being difficult, suggests Marigold be sent back abroad, Violet does not disagree with her.

Edith tries to persuade her grandmother to consider maybe there is a possibility Marigold can remain, but Violet does not. Because of Rosamund and Violet, Edith formulates a secret plan of her own. When Violet and the rest of the family return they learn from Tom, who stayed behind and Edith said goodbye too, that she has run off. Violet leaves crestfallen. Rosamund arrives following Edith's departure.

Violet meets her at the train, and tells her, having spent the entire night awake, that they have no choice but to tell Cora about Marigold. Rosamund objects to it as betraying Edith's trust, but Violet says if anything happens to Edith and Cora learns later they knew the truth all along, she would never forgive them.

Violet admits she would not blame her thus, for as a mother it is her right. When Rosamund asks if she does not plan to tell Robert, Violet remarks, "He's a man!

Men don't have rights. Unfortunately for them, Mrs Drewe comes to Downton and tells Cora right before they get a chance. Violet blames Edith for not sticking to the original plan of leaving Marigold behind, but is shocked when Rosamund reveals Edith considered having an abortion. Cora nevertheless is furious with them for never involving her to begin with.

Violet insists they wanted to "contain it". Cora tells Violet she can never trust her again. While Rosamund feels Cora doesn't mean that, Violet considers it the most honest thing Cora ever said to her.

Violet tries to drive a wedge between Isobel and Lord Merton, who is wooing her, but fails when Isobel decides to accept Merton's proposal of marriage. Mary notes Violet is not pleased and thinks it is because of Isobel's changing station. But Violet tells her she has gotten used to "having a companion, a friend" and will miss her time with Isobel when Isobel leaves to become Lady Merton.

After Lord Merton's sons treat Isobel with disdain, Isobel begins to have doubts about marrying him. But Violet insists that she should not let his sons rob her of her future happiness, noting remembering Kuragin's proposal of lovers that moments of happiness often do not come again if they are missed. Later, Robert confides in Violet of the possibility of the staff being reduced who in turn confides it to Denker.

Violet, called Granny, was the grandmother of three daughters, Mary ; Edith and Sybil. She was also great-grandmother, called Granny Violet, of four, Sybil Branson, the second , called Sybbie by everyone, the daughter of Sybil and former chauffeur Tom Branson ; Mary's son, George Crawley , who would, because of the death of his natural father, Matthew Crawley , would become the 8th Earl of Grantham, and her second child by her second husband, Henry Talbot ; and Marigold Crawley , the illegitimate daughter of Edith and her publisher boss, Michael Gregson.

No doubt she would have more grandchildren perhaps after Edith's marriage to Herbert "Bertie" Pelham. At the Dower House, she has three servants, Mrs. Potter, the cook; Septimus Spratt , her butler, whom she often reprimanded for being aloof and snobbish; and a long list of lady's maids, of whom, Gladys Denker , was most prominent. She also had a housemaid named Betty. Although usually ladies of the house would confide in their lady's maids, Violet did not confide in Denker, as she thought she was quite manipulative and troublemaking.

She had a distant yet respectful working relationship with Spratt, although she found him quite stuffy and snobbish. The widowed Violet was known for her very sharp tongue, her tendency to get her own way in everything and to ALWAYS have the last word on everything. I'm leaving the family and the place that I treasure in talented hands. It seems that fans need not worry just yet, as it's certainly a possibility that Maggie will reprise her role for the second instalment. Maggie Smith has played the role of Violet Crawley since Julian Fellowes, the writer and creator behind the period drama, previously discussed whether the Dowager would return, and whether her last words were an implication of her death.

The writer assured in an interview with Empire last year: "We should remember that at the end of the film, Maggie was by no means dead.

Julian Fellowes insisted Violet didn't die at the end of the first film. We'll have to wait and see whether Violet Crawley will survive, but Julian did also note that Lady Mary is set to take over the reigns at Downton. Speaking to Yahoo entertainment, he said: "She's the future of the place.