period dramas

The Plot of the Downton Abbey Movie Has Been Revealed and It Includes a Royal Surprise

Photo: ITV

The impending Downton Abbey film was shrouded in even more secrecy than O’Brien’s soap catastrophe in season one, but alas, our patience has finally been rewarded. (Lady Edith knows the feeling all too well.) At CinemaCon this afternoon, Variety reports the film’s trailer was shown to a select group of people, with the main action for our Crawley clan revealed to be the following: In 1927, King George V and Queen Mary decide to visit the family’s estate with their royal court in tow. This honor results in a comedy of errors of sorts for the Crawleys, given that they’re significantly down their usual number of butlers, cooks, valets, and housekeepers due to their dwindling funds. As such, they beg Carson to come out of retirement to organize the visit of a lifetime, which he happily accepts — c’mon, we all know palsy won’t keep this chap down! Also, there’s going to be a heavier subplot about Lady Mary contemplating moving out of the estate for good. The film will be released on September 20. We can hear the opening music already.

The Downton Abbey Movie Will Be All About a Royal Visit