Tuesday Movie Matinee

The film begins in 1927 by following the journey of a letter from Buckingham Palace to Downton Abbey. As the mail is being sorted and loaded onto the Mail Train in London, a stranger boards a carriage. The letter arrives at Downton Abbey, received by Andy, the footman and handed over to Mr Thomas Barrow, the Butler. Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham, is given the mail as soon as he comes downstairs for breakfast with his daughter, Lady Mary Talbot, and son-in-law, Tom Branson. Robert reads the letter and announces that King George V 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 the cousin of Lord Grantham, however the two families have fallen out due to an inheritance issue. The Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, is told by her son Robert that Maud is coming to Downton. She is shocked and perturbed by the news. Violet believes Robert is being cheated out of a rightful inheritance. The Royal Staff arrive; including the Royal Page of the Backstairs, the Queen’s Royal Dresser and the King’s Royal Dresser, Mr Richard Ellis. The Downton staff is caught off guard by the arrogance of the Royal staff.