At Christmas 1919 the Crawleys welcome Edith's former suitor Sir Anthony,now a war invalid, who tells her that he is too old for her,and Robert's sister Rosamund with her beau,the raffish Lord Hepworth. Sybil writes to announce her pregnancy. After Carlisle's selfish attitude towards the servants and his jealousy when Mary accompanies Matthew to visit Lavinia's grave, Robert prises from his wife the fact that the newspaper baron is effectively blackmailing his daughter into marriage to keep her secret and,on her father's advice, Mary breaks off the engagement,knowing that the angry Carlisle will now probably expose the family. Aware that Hepworth is penniless Violet unsuccessfully tries to warn Rosamund against marriage but Rosamund is determined to go ahead with the wedding - until she catches her fiance in bed with her maid. On trial for killing Vera things do not go well for John though Robert and Matthew vow to contest his life imprisonment. Upstairs and downstairs at the abbey are all shaken by his fate,even O'Brien,though Thomas schemes to ingratiate himself and become the new valet. On the eve of the servants' ball Mrs Patmore uses a little chicanery - and a Ouija board - to help Daisy assuage her guilt over William whilst,at the ball itself, a long overdue marriage proposal is made - and accepted.

Starring:

Brendan Coyle, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Iain Glen, Jim Carter, Jonathan Coy, Lesley Nicol, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Nigel Havers, Paul Copley, Penelope Wilton, Phyllis Logan, Robert Bathurst, Samantha Bond, Sharon Small, Simon Poland, Siobhan Finneran, Timothy Carlton, Tony Pritchard

Genre:

Drama