Downton Abbey has six seasons and two movies, following the lives of the Crawley family at Downton through changes, scandals, love, and heartbreak.

The Crawley family in Downton Abbey encompasses a long list of both major and supporting characters. Created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey premiered in 2010 and spans six seasons, with the final episode premiering in 2015. The story begins with the aftermath of the Titanic sinking in 1912, leading to the loss of Lord Grantham’s presumptive heir, James, and his son, Patrick. In response, Lord Grantham embarks on a search for a new heir.

The success of Downton Abbey prompted the release of a movie in 2019, bringing the Crawley family to the big screen. Additionally, the cast returned to Downton Abbey: A New Era, which was released in 2021. Throughout the series, each character contributes to compelling storylines, with the heart of Downton Abbey centered around the Crawley family.

Violet Crawley

Played by Maggie Smith

Violet Crawley holds the position of matriarch in the Crawley family because of her marriage to the late Earl of Grantham. Additionally, she is connected to the MacClare family through her niece and goddaughter, Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire. Violet’s official title is the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Violet is the mother of Robert Crawley and Lady Rosamund Painswick, and grandmother to Mary, Edith, and Sybil. Through her granddaughters, she has five great-grandchildren. Violet was born in 1842 and died at Downton Abbey in 1928 at the age of 86, as depicted in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Susan MacClare

Played By Phoebe Nicholls

Susan, Marchioness of Flintshire, is the first cousin of Robert Crawley, and the niece and goddaughter of Violet Crawley. She is the mother of three children; James, Annabelle, and Rose. She was married to Hugh MacClare, whom she resented and eventually divorced. Her son, James, was the future heir to the Earldom of Grantham, before his death, as he was the oldest living son in the Crowley line. Susan is also the grandmother of the late Patrick Crowley.

Robert and Cora Crawley

Played by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern

Robert Crawley, the 7th Earl of Grantham, serves as the patriarch of the Crawley family. His sister is Lady Rosamund Painswick, and their mother is Violet Crawley. In 1890, Robert entered into a marriage of necessity with heiress Cora Levinson to rescue the family estate, but their union evolved into genuine love. Cora holds the title of the Countess of Grantham and is the daughter of Martha and Isidore Levinson, and the sister of Harold Levinson.

Robert and Cora have three daughters, Mary, Edith, and Sybil, and five grandchildren. With no living sons, the couple worked diligently to secure the future of their estate. They planned to marry their eldest daughter Mary to James Crawley’s son, Patrick Crowley. Robert has great pride for Downton and takes his responsibility of the estate seriously.

Rosamund Painswick

Played by Samantha Bond

Lady Rosamund Painswick is the widow of a very wealthy banker, the late Marmaduke Painswick. She was the daughter of the previous Earl of Grantham and Violet, and the sister of Robert. Lady Rosamund is the sister-in-law of Cora, and aunt of Mary, Edith, and Sybil. She lives alone in London, but maintains a strong relationship with her brother Robert, visiting him frequently.

Mary and Henry Talbot

Played by Michelle Dockery and Matthew Goode

Lady Mary Josephine Talbot is the eldest daughter of Robert, the Earl of Grantham, and Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham. She has two younger sisters, Edith and Sybil, and is the granddaughter of Violet Crawley. She is the sister-in-law of Tom Branson and Herbert Pelham and is an aunt to three children. She was originally married to Mattew Crawley and had her son George Crawley with him, but after Matthew’s shocking death on Downton Abby, she was left a widow.

Mary met Henry Talbot, a longtime friend of Violet Crawley, during a visit to Brancaster Castle. The pair got married in 1925, and by 1927 they had a daughter together, whom they named Caroline. Lady Mary runs Downton alongside her father, and Henry co-owns Talbot and Branson Motors with Mary’s brother-in-law, Tom.

Isobel Grey and Matthew Crawley

Played by Penelope Wilton and Dan Stevens

Isobel Grey, Baroness Merton, joined the Crawley family through her marriage to her late husband, Dr. Reginald Crawley. Her son is Mattew Crawley, who was a lawyer from Manchester and a distant relative to the Earls of Grantham. After the deaths of the previous heirs of Grantham, Matthew became next in line for the title.

He fell in love with Robert’s eldest daughter, Lady Mary, and after an eight-year relationship, the pair were married. Mathew was the co-owner of the estate and helped rescue it from financial hardship. Mathew and Mary had their son in September 1921, whom they named George Crawley. Mathew was killed in a car accident shortly after the birth of his son in season 3’s Christmas special, leading to George becoming next in line to the earldom.

Edith and Bertie Pelham

Played by Laura Carmichael and Harry Hadden-Paton

Edith Violet Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, is the second daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, and the middle sister of Mary and Sybil. She is the granddaughter of Violet Crawley and the sister-in-law to Tom Branson, Henry Talbot, and the late Matthew Crawley. She is an aunt to three children. In 1925, she married Herbert “Bertie” Pelham, elevating her status to the Marchioness of Hexham, surpassing her immediate family members in rank. Edith and Bertie share two children, Marigold and Peter, with Marigold being from her deceased lover, Michael Gregson, and Peter being their child.

Sybil and Tom Branson

Played by Fifi Heart and Allen Leech

Lady Sybil Cora Branson is the youngest daughter of Robert and Cora and the youngest sister to Mary and Edith. She married Thomas Branson, who was the former chauffeur of Downton, who later assumed the role of the estate manager. The pair had one daughter, who was named Sybbie, after her mother. In Downton Abbey season 3, Lady Sybil died shortly after giving birth from eclampsia, which causes rare brain damage after birth. Although Tom never fully recovered from Sybil’s death, he did remarry in 1927 to Lucy Smith, with whom he had a son.

Rose MacClare

Played by Lily James

Lady Rose is the youngest child of Hugh and Susan MacClare and is the great-niece of Violet Crawley. She ends up staying with the Crawley family in Downton Abbey when her parents go on a trip to India. Over time, she became a close member of the Crawley family. In 1924, Lady Rose met Atticus Aldridge, whose title is Lord Sinderby. She ends up marrying him and the pair move to New York. There, they have their daughter, Victoria Rachel Cora Aldridge, named after Atticus’s mother and Cora Crawley.

George Crawley and Caroline Talbot

George Crawley is the only child of Matthew Crawley and Mary Talbot. After the death of his father, he became the next in line to become the Earl of Grantham. George has a half-sister, Caroline Talbot, who is the daughter of Mary and Henry Talbot. George and Caroline are the grandchildren of Robert and Cora Crawley, and the great-grandchildren of Violet Crawley. They have two aunts, Mary, and the late Sybil.

Marigold Gregson and Peter Pelham

Marigold Gregson is the illegitimate daughter and only child of Edith Pelham and the late Michael Gregson. Edith originally planned to give her up for adoption but eventually introduced her to the whole family, and she came to reside at Downton as Edith’s “ward.” Following Edith’s marriage to Bertie, Marigold moved to her stepfather’s estate at Brancaster Castle. Peter Pelham is the son of Edith and Bertie, making him the heir to the Marquis of Hexham. Marigold and Peter’s grandparents are Robert and Cora Crawley, and their great-grandmother is Violet Crawley. They have two aunts, Mary, and the late Sybil.

Sybbie Branson

Sybil “Sybbie” Branson is the daughter of Sybil and Tom Branson. She is the eldest granddaughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, and the eldest great-granddaughter of Violet Crawley. Sybbie has two aunts, Mary and Edith, and four cousins. After her father married Lucy Branson on Downton Abbey, she gained a stepmother and, shortly after, a baby brother.