Downton Abbey - Prequel planned for Lady Violets Love Life
With her distinctive quotes and witty remarks, Lady Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith, 89), became the most iconic character in the British TV-series "Downton Abbey" according to the "Daily Mail". The makers of the historical drama are reportedly working behind the scenes on a spin-off series that will put Lady Violet's love life at the center of the action. This prequel series would then shed light on the younger matriarch's life and portray her in her 20s.
As for who will step into the role, that is still unclear. However, there have been mentions of some promising candidates. Among them are Viola Prettejohn (21, known as young Elizabeth in "The Crown"), Emily Carey (21, "House of the Dragon"), and Ella Purnell (27, "Belgravia").
Two romantic adventures of Lady Violet are likely to be particularly prominent in the planned series: In the last movie, viewers discovered that Lady Violet and the Marquis de Montmirail fell in love with each other during a vacation in the South of France in 1864. This secret, which she had kept from her family for decades.
Lady Violet had an affair with a Russian prince
In the fifth season of "Downton Abbey", fans discovered another hidden love affair of Lady Violet. They learned that she traveled to Russia with her husband in 1874 and fell in love with Prince Igor Kuragin and almost eloped with him on his yacht. The wife of the Russian prince eventually put a stop to the affair.
"Every woman who goes to the altar keeps half her story to herself," Lady Violet once said. She was then a "different person" who was "in love". In her opinion, the lack of passion in her marriage was to blame. Certainly a good material for a series.
The actual series "Downton Abbey" ended in 2015 after six successful seasons. However, a film spin-off "Downton Abbey" came to the cinemas in 2019, followed by its sequel "Downton Abbey II: A New Era" in the same year. Both turned out to be box office hits, raking in over 200 million pounds, or around 230 million Euro, for the makers. A third film is currently in production.
- The announcement about the prequel series of "Downton Abbey" has generated excitement, as it will delve into Lady Violet Crawley's love life before her time in Downton Abbey, potentially featuring Maggie Smith in a younger role.
- "Mail Daily" reported that the new series could draw attention to an intriguing aspect of Lady Violet's past, such as her romantic involvement with the Russian prince mentioned in the fifth season of "Downton Abbey," which had not been fully explored in the original series or the two films.
- Fans of "Downton Abbey" and Maggie Smith's iconic character, Lady Violet, can look forward to a new spin-off series that promises to provide deeper insights into Lady Violet's love life, including her past affairs and the circumstances that led her to keep certain aspects of her story secret.
