Mary Crawley

Background
Mary Crawley is the eldest daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley. She is beautiful and has an ease in conversation with people. She is often the center of attention. She becomes engaged to marry her cousin Patrick Crawley, the heir to. Downton. She doesn't not care for him as much as he does her, but all the Crawley's are in favor of the match.

Season One
Lady Mary Crawley learns that her cousin and fiancé, Patrick Crawley, has died in the sinking of the Titanic. The estate of Downton is entailed to the nearest male heir, and Mary, by becoming engaged to Patrick, would have kept it and the money her mother brought into it with her own marriage. Mary had not been in love with Patrick, she remarks that she had kept him on the line while hoping for a bigger fish, and she even questions whether it would be necessesary to wear mourning, as they were only engaged.

After Patrick's death, distant cousin, Matthew Crawley, becomes heir and the Crawleys hope that he will fall for Mary. She however overhears him complaining to his mother that he "expects the family will push one of the daughters on him". She is subsequently offended and refuses to consider him, saying that he is "not one of us".

Mart invites eligible bachelor, the Honorable Evelyn Napier, to a fox hunt, but his overtures are completely overshadowed by his handsome and charming friend, Turkish attaché, Kemal Pamuk. Pamuk seduces Mary, but then dies in her bed. Mary must take Anna, the housemaid who is also her friend, as well as her own mother, Cora Crawley, in on this secret, as she needs their help to move dead Mr. Pamuk back to his own room. Edith learns of this and in a desire for revenge on Mary writes a letter to the Turkish Embassy informing them of the true circumstances of Kemal's death.

Mary begins to warm to Matthew Crawley, and in 1914, he proposes. However her mother Cora has become pregnant, and if the baby is a boy, he will inherit the title instead of Matthew. Violet, her grandmothers the Dowager Countess, tells her to accept, as she can always back out later, but Mary refuses to give Matthew an answer until after her mother has the baby. Matthew is furious that Mary will not agree to marry him with the posibility that they will be poor and middle class, so after her mother miscarries and Mary tries to accept, Matthew refuses and leaves the estate of Downton for London. There he meets and becomes engaged to Lavinia the daughter of another solicitor, Reggie Swire. When the First World War is declared, Matthew joins the army.

Mary meets wealthy self-made newspaper magnate Sir Richard Carlisle, who asks her to marry him. Mary must confess to him about her affair with Kemal Pamuk, when she asks him to help her to keep the story out of the newspaper. He buys the story from Vera Bates and squashes it. In July 1919, they plan to marry and Carlisle buys a stately home near Downton, that Sir Richard plans to renovate. He comes to realize that Mary is still in love with Matthew. Her father sees that her relationship with Sir Richard is not a happy one. Cora finally informs Robert about the hold Sir Richard has over her, and Robert tells Mary to break off the engagement. Carlisle threatens to publicise the Pamuk affair, and Mary is thinking of visiting her mother's family in America to wait out the furor. However, when she confesses to Matthew about Pamuk, he decides that it doesn't matter, and they finally agree to marry, after an on and off courtship that has lasted 6 years.

Matthew becomes heir to Reggie Swire, but wants to give away the money, as he blames himself for Lavinia's death from Spanish Flu (as she had learned that he loved Mary and he believed that took away her will to live). Mary learns that her father has lost their fortune and wants Matthew to accept the inheritance. She accuses him of being selfish, and the wedding is in doubt. However they both realize that their love is more important than any disagreement.

Mary is present when Sybil dies in childbirth. Tom Branson asks Mary to be godmother to her niece, Miss Sybil Branson. Mary supports Tom in his desire to have the baby baptized a Catholic. Mary and Matthew have been trying to have children, and Matthew believes that it may be related to the injuries he received at Amiens in 1918. However, Mary reveals to Matthew that the problem had been with her and it necessitated a small and successful operation to correct. Mary finally is pregnant, but insists on going with to the hunting party at estate Duneagle. She must leave early, as she isn't feeling well. Upon reaching Downton, she goes into labor one month prematurely. Matthew arrives at the hospital to reaffirm their love for each other and celebrate the birth of their son, later to be named George. Unfortunately, an inattentive Matthew is run off the road on the way back to Downton, bringing the news of the birth to the rest of the Crawleys. Mary is left holding her child unaware that she is now a widow.

Character
Mary, at first, seems self-centered and vindictive. As time passes she experiences more in life, heart-ache, and war. She begins to show vulnerability and compassion. Mary loves Downton as her home and like her father wishes to maintain the estate and the tradition of the Granthams.