Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Downton Abbey trailer teases a final farewell to stately home

A portrait of Violet Crawley, played by Dame Maggie Smith, is seen in the trailer
A portrait of Violet Crawley, played by Dame Maggie Smith, is seen in the trailer (Focus Features)
  • The upcoming film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will follow the Crawley family as they enter the 1930s and navigate new challenges.
  • The trailer for the film includes a touching tribute to Dame Maggie Smith, who played Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and died in September at age 89.
  • The trailer shows Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) looking at a portrait of her grandmother (Dame Maggie), and Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), kissing the wall of the building, suggesting the family may be selling and leaving the abbey.
  • Bonneville promised the new movie would be a “great lasting tribute” to Smith, and the film's synopsis reveals the characters must “embrace change and welcome a new chapter”.
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is set to release in cinemas on 12 September.
In full

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in