Downton Abbey is back for its third and final film as fans prepare to bid a fond farewell to the stately home’s beloved residents after 15 years.
While the aristocratic Crawley family live upstairs, their servants downstairs keep everything on track.
Ahead of the film hitting screens Ancestry have discovered many of the cast’s ancestors share surprising connection to their onscreen characters, including working similar jobs, living similar lifestyles, as well as one boasting a royal relative.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale which releases September 12, is set in 1930, some 18 years after the first episode debuted on ITV. It will also be the first not to feature Dame Maggie Smith, who sadly passed away in September 2024 aged 89.
The latest saga finds Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) in ‘a public scandal’ as a divorcee and is forced out of social occasions in London because of her marital status. Putting into question her eligibility to inherit the Downton Abbey estate from her father Lord Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville.
Here Daily Mail looks at the cast’s surprising connections to their characters….
Downton Abbey is back for its third and final film as fans prepare to bid a fond farewell to the stately home’s beloved residents after 15 years
Ahead of the film hitting screens Ancestry have discovered that many of the cast’s ancestors share surprising connection to their onscreen characters
Daily Mail looks at the cast’s surprising connections to their characters (cast pictured at London premiere)
Michael Fox – Footman Andy Parker
Michael joined the Downton Abbey cast as loveable Andy during the fifth season, with his character falling for and eventually marrying kitchen maid Daisy (Sophie McShera).
The actor, 36, also found love behind the scenes with co-star Laura Carmichael, 39, who plays the role of Lady Edith, and together welcomed son Luca in 2021.
Life imitates art for Michael, whose three-times-great-grandfather Horace Walpole was a butler in the 1800s.
Meanwhile his great-great-grandfather Joseph Jenks worked a chauffeur in 1920s Berkshire.
Speaking about his role, Michael told Female First in 2015: ‘Andy’s a guy whose job is not as secure as it would have been 30 years before, so he’s like, “what can Andy do to work, to live?” If the house is cutting back, he doesn’t have that same type of future that [butler] Carson had when he joined the house’.
Michael joined the Downton Abbey cast as loveable Andy during the fifth season
His character fell for and eventually marrying kitchen maid Daisy (Sophie McShera)
The actor, 36, also found love behind the scenes with co-star Laura Carmichael, 39, who plays the role of Lady Edith
Life imitates art for Michael, whose three-times-great-grandfather Horace Walpole was a butler in the 1800s (Horace’s marriage record pictured)
Meanwhile his great-great-grandfather Joseph Jenks worked a chauffeur in 1920s Berkshire (England Census record of Joseph Jenks pictured)
Lesley Nicol – Cook Mrs Patmore
Manchester born Lesley, 72, has played the role of the formidable Downton cook Beryl Patmore since the show’s very first episode.
As well as the character’s relationship with Daisy proving comedy gold, she also featured in a heartbreaking storyline that saw her battle sight loss.
Lesley’s ancestors were shepherds, butchers and wine merchants, showing a real-life passion for food and drink that mirrors her character’s loveable role in the Downton kitchen.
Her grandfather Henry Thomas Isaac was a butcher who worked for mother Elizabeth in 1911 in Glamorgan, South Wales.
Lesley’s ancestors were shepherds, butchers and wine merchants, showing a real-life passion for food and drink that mirrors her character’s loveable role in the Downton kitchen
As well as the character’s relationship with Daisy (L) proving comedy gold, she also featured in a heartbreaking storyline that saw her battle sight loss
Lesley’s ancestors were shepherds, butchers and wine merchants, showing a real-life passion for food and drink that mirrors her character’s loveable role in the Downton kitchen
Her grandfather Henry Thomas Isaac was a butcher who worked for mother Elizabeth in 1911 in Glamorgan, South Wales (1911 census pictured)
Harry Hadden-Paton – Herbert ‘Bertie’ Pelham, Marquess of Hexham
Just like his aristocratic character Bertie, actor Harry comes from equally posh stock and boasts Sarah, Duchess of York as his godmother.
Harry, 44, joined the cast in the final season and wed spinster sister Lady Edith and delighting fans as the marriage made her The Marchioness of Hexham following year’s on the shelf.
Offscreen he is the son of former cavalry officer Nigel Hadden-Paton, head of a landed gentry family and Sarah Bumble, daughter of Brigadier Frederick Mellor.
Henry’s three-times-great-grandfather Henry G Marquand was an American banker involved in major railroad interests, who could very well have saved the Crawley’s from financial ruin.
Just like his aristocratic character Bertie, actor Harry comes from equally posh stock and boasts Sarah, Duchess of York as his godmother
Harry joined the cast in the final season and wed spinster sister Lady Edith (pictured) and delighting fans as the marriage made her The Marchioness of Hexham
Actor Harry is the son of former cavalry officer Nigel Hadden-Paton, head of a landed gentry family and Sarah Bumble, daughter of Brigadier Frederick Mellor.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York pictured
Offscreen his three-times-great-grandfather, Henry G Marquand, a banker involved in major railroad interests (1902 death notice pictured)
Allen Leech – Tom Branson
Allen’s character Tom went from being the family’s chauffeur and outspoken Irish separatist to marrying youngest Crawley daughter Cybil.
Following her tragic death in child birth, Tom worked hard to integrate himself into the family before eventually finding love again with Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton).
Like Branson, Allen, 44, comes from a family of principled public servants including great-grandfather Thomas H. Leech.
Thomas, who died in 1962, was an Irish peace commissioner known for his honesty and integrity, and may well have inspired one of Branson’s iconic speeches.
Allen’s character Tom went from being the family’s chauffeur and outspoken Irish separatist, to marrying youngest Crawley daughter Cybil
Allen’s character Tom went from being the family’s chauffeur and outspoken Irish separatist, to marrying youngest Crawley daughter Cybil
Like Branson, Allen, 44, comes from a family of principled public servants including great-grandfather Thomas H. Leech (pictured with co-star Michelle Dockery)
Thomas, who died in 1962, was an Irish peace commissioner known for his honesty and integrity, and may well have inspired one of Branson’s iconic speeches (death notice pictured)
It comes after Allen has revealed the cheeky comment he made to the late Dame Maggie Smith when they were working together and her surprising reaction.
The Irish actor worked with Dame Maggie for more than a decade on the period drama which has spawned six series and three movies.
Ahead of the last film instalment Allen has discussed what it was like sharing the set with the famously waspish dame.
He told Ryan Tubridy show on Virgin Radio UK: ‘She was the best craic, if you were on the right side of her, and I thankfully was.
‘But if you gave her too much, if you were too reverential to her, she almost hopped on it.
‘She wanted to just be one of the ensemble.’
On one occasion while working on season two of the historical series, Dame Maggie greeted him telling him: ‘I’m glad you’re back, Smiler.’
Leech said: ‘I was like, “oh, thanks very much”. And I thought, this is your chance now not to be too reverential.
‘So as she passed and she was in this big, you know, what they call that big bustle dress of the period.
It comes after Allen has revealed the cheeky comment he made to the late Dame Maggie Smith when they were working together and her surprising reaction
The Irish actor worked with Dame Maggie, who died last year aged 89, for more than a decade on the period drama which has spawned six series and three movies
Dame Maggie played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the period drama (pictured in the series in 2018)
‘And I just said, “Maggie?” And she went, “What?” And I said, “Your arse looks great in that.”’
But rather than chastise him for his for his x-rated comments, she was amused by his cheeky irreverence.
He added: ‘Immediately, she did that laugh and then I was in, you know, because I was one of the gang.’
The actor also said that Dame Maggie was similar to her acidic character Violet Crawley, the Dowager Duchess of Grantham, whose withering remarks became legendary on the show.
He said: ‘She was [like her character]. And she used to say things after she would say something that you knew was like absolute gold, but dangerous.
‘She’d turn and she’d go, “Oh, I’m wicked. I’m wicked.” She knew herself. She was great fun.’
