Lady Edith and Dame Edith

Now that Downton Abbey has aired its final episode in the U.S., I can finally air a pet theory of mine: Lady Edith was surely inspired by the legendary Dame Edith Sitwell.

True, the Downton character takes on some domestic traits toward the end, like other outlier women on television. But these manor misfits bear striking similarities. I’ll make my case, and you can judge for yourself.

(1) The Look. We can start with how stunning each Edith looked in a sage green gown! The color complemented their bared shoulders and pale complexions. And while we’re on the subject of the women’s youthful elegance, note their distinctive noses.

(2) The Big House. Lady Edith Crawley’s ancestral home is Downton Abbey, Yorkshire. Her father was the 7th Earl of Grantham. Dame Edith Sitwell’s ancestral home is Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire. Her father was the fourth Baronet of Renishaw. Lady Edith had a sister named Sybil, and Dame Edith had an Aunt Sybil.

(3) Manor Misfits.  Neither Lady Edith nor Dame Edith fits her family’s manor mandates. As young women, both disappointed their parents by resisting protocols of ladyship, including the rule to accrue many suitors and marry early. At one point an exasperated Lord Grantham considers Edith’s future to be “a ghastly prospect.” Dame Edith disappointed her father by not pursuing lawn tennis, a more ladylike occupation for the daughter of Sir George Sitwell and Lady Ida.

(4) The Literary Life. Lady Edith and Dame Edith started off as socially awkward young women with strong literary inclinations. Lady Edith began her literary career with an editorial column, and became the owner-manager of The Sketch magazine. Dame Edith appeared in The Sketch. Lady Edith fired an editor, and Dame Edith wrote fiery letters to editors. In addition to publishing poems and criticism, Dame Edith edited the Wheels series of poetry anthologies. In London each writer-editor could escape the confines of Big House life. Modern women for modern times, Lady Edith and Dame Edith felt more at home in the Big City.

(5) The Zinger. When it’s time to face their enemies, neither Edith minces her words. Dame Edith’s withering witticisms are too numerous to recount here. So let me offer the immortal zinger “God comfort thy capacity” she bestowed on her critics. Dame Edith could always step up to slap down. Lady Edith blasted her biggest critic–her sister Lady Mary–with this pent-up put-down: “I know you to be a nasty, jealous, scheming bitch!”

Are all these parallels a matter of mere coincidence? I don’t think so!  –MB