The Women of Downton Abbey in Real Life

Photos From Full Costume to Modern Day Glamour

The fifth season of Downton Abbey quickly passed and I am already finding myself having Abbey withdrawal!  I love this PBS series and its one of the rare shows that both my husband and I like together.

I find the acting to be spectacular and oddly enough, some of the best lines have come from the matriarch of the family, Countess of Granthem played perfectly by Maggie Smith.

If you would have ever told me that I would have fallen in love with an English mini series about a fictional aristocratic family and their servants from the early 1900’s I wouldn’t have believed it.  My husband and I were a little late in joining the Abbey fan club so we had marathon sessions of watching two to three episodes at a time.  It didn’t take long to catch up.

The most amazing transformations from these characters to real life are the women of Downton.  Hair, makeup and current fashion make all the difference.  I thought it would be fun to get to know these fabulous characters better and found it fascinating to see what they look like in real life.  The Downton women are shown in their early 1920’s costumes as well as their real lives which is almost a century later.

Lady Mary Played by Michelle Dockery

Courtesy of People Magazine

Lady Edith played by Laura Carmichael

Courtesy of People Magazine

Both Lady Mary and Lady Edith in Real Life

Daisy played by Sophie McShara

Courtesy of People Magazine

Mrs. Hughs played by Phyllis Logan

 Courtesy of People Magazine

 Mrs. Patmore played by Leslie Nicol

Courtesy of LA Times

Violet Crawley played by Maggie Smith

Courtesy of LA Times

Lady Mary’s Maid Anna played by Joanne Froggatt

Courtesy of DowntonAbbeyAddicts.com

Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham

Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley

Courtesy of E-Online

Have you ever wondered what you would have looked like back then?  Which character is your favorite?