10 fascinating facts about Downton Abbey

Since it first hit our screens in 2010, we’ve all taken Downton Abbey to our hearts, devotedly following the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era.

As well as personal dramas, we saw the Downton residents cope with world-changing events, from World War One and the sinking of the Titanic, to the Spanish flu outbreak and the Irish War of Independence.

Written by Julian Fellowes and with a cast including Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Joanna Froggatt and the late Dame Maggie Smith, the ITV1 show drew in record viewers and won numerous awards before the final episode aired on Christmas Day 2015.

Two films followed, but now the release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale marks the end of the Crawley family’s story.

10 fascinating facts about Downton Abbey

As we say goodbye, here are some of the secrets and fascinating facts behind the show, including why the late Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t impressed with one scene.

1. Maggie Smith never watched an episode

Despite playing Dowager Countess of Grantham from the start, Dame Maggie – who sadly passed away last year – admitted that she never watched the show as she hated seeing herself on screen.

“I will look at it when it’s all over, maybe, because it’s frustrating,” she once said. “I always see things that I would like to do differently, and think, ‘Why in the name of God did I do that?’”

After the show’s finale she was gifted a boxset but still refused, saying, “I haven’t got time. I shall have to hasten otherwise I won’t last long enough to see the wretched thing!”

2. An historical advisor was always on set

As the show was a period drama, it was essential that it was historically accurate, so consultant and etiquette expert Alastair Bruce was brought in to make sure everything was authentic. From the proper way to curtsy to ensuring that costumes are historically accurate and authentic, Bruce has admitted to being 'ruthless' on set.

Real silver and antiques were also used in the dining room scenes with actors joking about how 'terrifying' it was to eat near genuine museum-quality antiques.

Bruce appears in the third movie, having also made cameos in the other two films and all six series of the TV show.

3. Gillian Anderson could have played Cora Crawley

While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Elizabeth McGovern portraying Lady Grantham, Gillian Anderson admitted that she was originally approached for the role. The X Files actress admitted, “I was actually offered a part in Downton,” later revealing it was Cora Crawley.

However, it seems McGovern was always destined for that part. She had worked before with her on-screen husband Hugh Bonneville – the Earl of Grantham – when they played a married couple on short-lived BBC sitcom Freezing.

4. The food on the table was real

All the delicious-looking meals served in the dining hall can technically be eaten but the show’s food stylist Lisa Heathcote says admitted that they wouldn’t be that enjoyable.

When asked her tips and tricks for keeping food looking very fresh during filming, she replied, “A lot of gelatine! The food is very, very solid; you wouldn’t want to eat it really. I tend to think about the way the food will look on the platter if it’s going upstairs and the way it’s decorated. 

“We did have a situation when a piece of venison was too small for its pan so we had to prop it up on a few carrots to give it a bit of height, but other than that it’s all real. I decorate the plate and that’s what you see.”

However, Lesley Nicol, who plays the cook Mrs Patmore, has admitted she can’t cook in real life and relied on Heathcote to make their dishes look authentic.

5. The Queen was an avid watcher

The late Queen Elizabeth II was a fan of the show and used to enjoy tuning in on a Sunday night. However, she was one of its biggest critics when it got things historically incorrect, especially when it came to war medals.

At Home with the Queen author Brian Hoey explained, “The Queen did notice on one episode that there was a young so-called British officer wearing medals which could not have been awarded when he was supposed to be alive.

"He was fighting in the First World War and the medals on his chest did not come in until the Second World War.”

6. A real family life at Downton Abbey

The actual Downton Abbey is and is lived in by the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. During filming the crew had to work around their private living quarters but when Highclere Castle is open to the public, the family reside in their cottage.

Speaking about the relationship with the team, Lady Carnarvon has said, “Downton Abbey has been a reassuring anchor for us all in challenging times and something of a world apart. The crew and cast have become so much a part of our lives here at Highclere. We always hope the adventure may continue.”

You can visit Highclere Castle and according to the website, can 'walk down the staircase like Lady Mary did on her wedding day' or 'sit at Jackdaws Castle where Lady Edith so often found herself'.

7. The costumes weren’t washed

According to Sophie McShera – who played kitchen maid Daisy – many of the costumes were never washed in order to preserve authenticity and began to smell.

“We do stink, as they don’t wash our costumes,” she once revealed. “They have these weird patches, which are sewn into the armpits and which they wash separately.”

But thankfully they have all since been cleaned and now fans can own one of the famed outfits – such as Lady Mary’s wedding dress – by bidding on items through the auction house Bonhams. You can also buy pieces of furniture and even the family car up until 16 September.

8. It was inspired by George Clooney - sort of  

They may be completely different genres, but creator Julian Fellowes says he took inspiration from the 1990s US medical drama ER, which starred George Clooney and Noah Wyle.

“Constructing Downton, I was consciously thinking in terms of those American structures,” Fellowes said. “I had liked ER. There was something called Chicago Hope that I liked very much, and Thirtysomething with all these stories going on at once.”

He also revealed that Downton Abbey was partly based on his own family – his wife, Lady Emma Kitchener-Fellowes, is a great-great-niece of the Earl of Kitchener, who was famed for the World War One slogan: 'Your Country Needs You'.

And Lady Mary’s son was given the name George, after Fellowes’ niece’s baby.

9. Laura Carmichael almost turned down her role

The actress was working as a doctor’s receptionist when she was offered the role of Lady Edith but it clashed with her dream job of playing Viola in a touring production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

“A few days later my agent said, ‘You have an audition for a period drama.’ I thought it was going to be a ‘Yes, milord,’ a half-day’s filming, one line maybe,” Carmichael revealed.

“But it would be good to have on your CV that you’d done telly. And I thought, ‘I’m going to have to turn down this dream Shakespeare for this TV job. What a disaster!’ And it was Downton. So, I went and read and realised it was for a lead part. And I don’t know how it happened.”

10. There was only one bedroom on set

All the bedroom scenes in Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Lady Cora’s rooms were filmed in the same place – it was just redecorated depending on whose room it was.

“By the end of the season it’s quite thick with paint and wallpaper,” production designer Donal Woods, said. “If you’re very smart, you’ll look out the window and it’s always the same view.”