TV & Movies

15 Iconic Violet Crawley Quotes To Help You Live Like Downton's Favourite Dowager

“At my age, one must ration one’s excitement.”

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15 Iconic Violet Crawley Quotes To Help You Live Like Downton's Favourite Dowager
ITV / Downton Abbey

When Downton Abbey first aired back in 2010, the world was introduced to the aristocratic Crawley family and their loyal team of in-house staff at the Downton country estate. With gripping stories penned by acclaimed screenwriter Julian Fellowes and winning performances from the likes of Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, the upstairs-downstairs period drama became a hit with both audiences and critics, spawning a total of six seasons and not one, but two big-screen adaptations, most recently Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Smith’s portrayal of Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess has been a highlight throughout the drama’s television and cinematic run. With her hilariously sharp, no-nonsense wit, there’s certainly no mystery as to why the Countess of Grantham has long been a fan favourite. Thankfully, Smith has reprised her much-loved role in the 2022 Downton Abbey sequel, which follows the Crawley family as they leave their Yorkshire estate behind to embark on a Gatsby-style getaway to the south of France.

As with the show’s original run, Downton Abbey: A New Era will likely produce yet more brilliant quips from the one and only Smith. To mark the release of the latest chapter in the Crawley family’s story, here are some of the most iconic Dowager Countess quotes in Downton Abbey history.

On The Weekend

ITV / Downton Abbey

Series 1, Episode 1: “What is a weekend?”

On Technology

Series 1, Episode 7: “First electricity, now telephones. Sometimes I feel as if I were living in an H.G. Wells novel.”

On Romance

Series 2, Episode 2: “I am not a romantic. But even I will concede that the heart does not exist solely for the purpose of pumping blood.”

On Feminism

Series 2, Episode 4: “I’m a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I choose.”

On Making A Distinction

Series 2, Episode 6: “I don’t dislike him. I just don’t like him, which is quite different.”

On Making An Entrance

Series 2, Episode 8: “I do hope I’m interrupting something…”

On Life

Series 2, Episode 9: “Life is a game, where the player must appear ridiculous.”

On Age

Series 3, Episode 3: “At my age, one must ration one’s excitement.”

On Making Yourself Useful

Series 3, Episode 4: “You’re a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do.”

On Logic

Series 4, Episode 3: “If I were to search for logic, I would not look for it among the English upper class.”

On Friendship

Masterpiece PBS

Series 5, Episode 1: “There’s nothing simpler than avoiding people you don’t like. Avoiding one’s friends, that’s the real test.”

On Social Graces

Series 5, Episode 9: “The presence of strangers is our only guarantee of good behaviour.”

On Marriage

Series 6, Episode 3: “I know several couples who are perfectly happy. Haven’t spoken in years.”

On Being Humble

Downton Abbey (film): “I am an expert in every matter.”

On Humour

Liam Daniel/Focus Features/Kobal/Shutterstock

Downton Abbey (film): “Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.”

On Men

Downton Abbey (film): “What simpletons men are.”

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