50 Downton Abbey Quotes to Live By
Updated: Sep. 10, 2021Over the course of six seasons—and a feature film—the star-studded period drama Downton Abbey served up timeless lessons about life, love and loss. With the announcement of a movie sequel scheduled for release in March 2022, we're celebrating the best Downton Abbey quotes—from both upstairs and down.
Carson on change:
“The nature of life is not permanence, but flux.”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 5
Anna on opportunity:
“Good men… They’re not like buses. There won’t be another one round in 10 minutes.”
— Anna, Downton Abbey, Season 2
Isobel on resolving differences:
“Seems a pity not to take a chance to end a quarrel. Isn’t it better than to let it fester?”
— Isobel Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 3
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Carson on the future:
“We must always travel in hope.”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Lady Grantham on resilience:
“You are being tested. And you know what they say my darling, being tested only makes you stronger.”
— Cora, Lady Grantham, Downton Abbey, Season 3
Mrs. Patmore on taking action:
“Sympathy butters no parsnips.”
— Mrs. Patmore, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Lord Grantham on etiquette:
“There is nothing more ill-bred than trying to steal the affections of one’s dog.”
— Robert, Lord Grantham, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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The Dowager Countess on a woman’s prerogative:
“I’m a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I choose.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 2
Sybil on making a difference:
“It’s the gloomy things that need our help. If everything in the garden is sunny, why meddle?”
— Lady Sybil Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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Lord Grantham on marriage:
“There is no such thing as a marriage between two intelligent people that does not sometimes have to negotiate thin ice. I know. You must wait until things become clear. And they will. The damage cannot be irreparable when a man and a woman love each other as much as you do.”
— Robert, Lord Grantham, Downton Abbey, Season 4
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The Dowager Countess on critics:
“You know me…Never complain, never explain.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 5
Mrs. Hughes on potential:
“My advice, Daisy, is to go as far in life as God and luck allow.”
— Mrs. Hughes, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Shrimpie on love:
“Love is like riding or speaking French: if you don’t learn it young, it’s hard to get the trick of it later.”
— Hugh ‘Shrimpie’ MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire, Downton Abbey, Season 3
The Dowager Countess on principles:
“Principles are like prayers; noble, of course, but awkward at a party.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Mrs. Patmore on health care:
“If you must pay money, better to a doctor than an undertaker.”
— Mrs. Patmore, Downton Abbey, Season 3
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The Dowager Countess on optimism:
“Hope is a tease, designed to prevent us accepting reality.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Branson on love:
“Real love means giving someone the power to hurt you.”
— Branson, Downton Abbey, Season 6
Mrs. Patmore on the importance of moving on:
“You can’t spend too long on a one-sided love.”
— Mrs. Patmore, Downton Abbey, Season 3
The Dowager Countess on good intentions:
“Meaning well is not enough.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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Mrs. Hughes on loss:
“We must all have our hearts broken once or twice before we’re done.”
— Mrs. Hughes, Downton Abbey, Season 4
Carson on finding purpose:
“The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end that’s all there is.”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 6
Lord Grantham on possibility:
“Every mountain is unclimbable until someone climbs it; so every ship is unsinkable until it sinks.”
— Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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The Dowager Countess on sin:
“If we only had moral thoughts, what would the poor churchmen find to do?”
—Violet, Dowager Countess, Season 5
Mrs. Patmore on loss:
“Nothing makes you hungrier or more tired than grief.”
— Mrs. Patmore, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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The Dowager Countess on the dangers of introspection:
“No life appears rewarding if you think too much about it.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 4
The Dowager Countess on displays of emotion:
“A lack of compassion can be as vulgar as an excess of tears.”
—Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Carson on being cautious:
“You’re nervous because you’re intelligent; only stupid people are foolhardy.”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 4
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Mrs. Patmore on young love:
“Nothing is as changeable as a young man’s heart. Take hope and warning from that.”
— Mrs. Patmore, Downton Abbey, Season 4
The Dowager Countess on independence:
“Beware of being ‘too good at it.’ That’s the danger of living alone, it can be very hard to give up.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 6
Daisy on mindfulness:
“I’ve decided to live in the present and not spend my life regretting the past or dreading the future.”
— Daisy, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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The Dowager Countess on potential:
“We only know what we are capable of when we test our limits.”
—Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 6
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Matthew on priorities:
“War has a way of distinguishing between the things that matter and the things that don’t.”
— Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 2
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The Dowager Countess on overcoming obstacles:
“All life is a series of problems, that we must try and solve.”
—Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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Carson on growth:
“What would be the point of living if we didn’t let life change us?”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 1
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Bates on the dangers of living the past:
“I miss a lot of things; but you have to keep moving, don’t you?”
— Bates, Downton Abbey, Season 1
The Dowager Countess on tragedy:
“When tragedies strike, we try to find someone to blame. And in the absence of a suitable candidate, we usually blame ourselves. You are not to blame. No one is to blame.”
—Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 3
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Edith on finding meaning:
“I know, we all need a purpose.”
— Lady Edith, Downton Abbey, Season 4
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Mrs. Hughes on loss:
“A broken heart can be as painful as a broken limb.”
— Mrs. Hughes, Downton Abbey, Season 2
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The Dowager Countess on being social:
“There’s nothing simpler than avoiding people you don’t like. Avoiding one’s friends, that’s the real test.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 5
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Carson on putting on a show:
“In my opinion, to misquote Doctor Johnson, if you’re tired of style, you are tired of life.”
— Carson, Downton Abbey, Season 3
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Isobel on grief:
“Aren’t we the lucky ones to have loved.”
— Isobel Crawley, Downton Abbey, Season 4
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The Dowager Countess on honesty:
“There can be too much truth in any relationship.”
— Violet, Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey, Season 4
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