Downton Abbey fans are emotional after the trailer for the last film in the period drama series was released.
The new full trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, set in the 1930s, shows all the familiar faces returning to their beloved estate as Downton Abbey is soon to be passed from the 7th Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), to his daughter Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery).
However, news of her divorce from Matthew Goode’s Henry Talbot might put her impending stewardship in jeopardy. At a social event, a new character played by Joely Richardson asks Lady Mary to leave immediately, announcing: “She’s divorced!”
lady Mary of Downton Abbey files for divorce SO TRUEEEEE pic.twitter.com/0kyCOv1rBC
— nina | lady mary DIVORCEE era (@abcdockery) June 30, 2025
The trailer also shows the return of Paul Giamatti as Harold Levinson, with some bad news for sister and Countess of Grantham, Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern).
As in the previous trailer, it appears the family’s financial troubles might see them sell and leave the abbey for good, as Robert is seen kissing the wall of the building and walking away from it.
Fans were sentimental as they remembered Dame Maggie Smith’s iconic Violet Crawley, as a shot showed a portrait of Violet displayed on a wall inside the stately Yorkshire home.
“As a huge fan of Downton Abbey, it’s incredibly hard to say goodbye. This show and the movies has been a part of my life for so many years, it truly became like a second family, with characters I’ve grown to love deeply. Every story deserves an ending, and though it’s difficult, especially with the loss of the incomparable Maggie Smith, I’m grateful that Violet’s chapter was beautifully closed while she was still with us. In many ways, it feels like the right time to let go,” one fan wrote on YouTube.
“Absolutely cannot wait to see this! Though I don't want it to end. Make a prequel with Maggie Smith's character as a young woman,” wrote another.
Fans also appreciated the change in the once-contentious dynamic between sisters Mary and Edith (Laura Carmichael), which now seemed much warmer.
if only sybil could see them now. #DowntonAbbey pic.twitter.com/dboVfj257Y
— val (she/her) 🇵🇸 (@edithcrxwley) June 30, 2025
“long live Downton Abbey.”
— lucy (@winonasfilm) June 30, 2025
“amen to that.”
i’m not crying you are. pic.twitter.com/TS52nJCFfF
The official synopsis for the film reads: “When Mary finds herself in a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.”
Downton Abbey ran for six seasons on ITV, from 2010 to 2015. The first spin-off film was released in 2019, followed by A New Era in 2022.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will be released in cinemas on 12 September.
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