Lady Rosamund Painswick



Rosamund Painswick (née Crawley) (played by Samantha Bond) is Robert's sister and daughter to Violet Crawley. She is devoted to Robert, but feels it her duty to speak her mind on every possible occasion. Her interference in her nieces' decisions has disastrous results. Rosamund is first mentioned when she writes a letter to Matthew Crawley, welcoming him into the family. She writes to her family often from her home in Eaton Square. Robert receives a letter from her telling him that people have been gossiping about her niece, Lady Mary. Cora laughs and says that Rosamund was probably asking for "a leg of lamb and all the vegetables we can muster". Robert responds, saying that she misses the taste of her old home. Cora speculates that she misses not paying for food instead.

She is first seen when Mary is staying with her in 1914, suspicious of Mary after hearing rumours about Kemal Pamuk's fatal visit to Downton Abbey. Rosamund seems opposed to the idea of Mary marrying Matthew, especially when Cora becomes pregnant, with the possibility of there being a male heir with a stronger claim to the title of Earl of Grantham. This plants uncertainty into Mary's mind, which makes Matthew lose interest in her, much to the chagrin of Violet, Robert, and Cora. She is present at the garden party where Robert receives the telegram declaring England is at war with Germany.

Rosamund appears again in 1917, when Sir Richard Carlisle visits Downton Abbey. She comes with him on the journey, and states that "he never took his nose out of his own newspapers, but I'm sure I'll like him." She witnesses an argument between Sir Richard and Lavinia Swire, Matthew's new fiancée. Violet convinces her that Mary is still in love with Matthew, and mother and daughter conspire to split up Matthew and Lavinia.

Lavinia has tea with the two women, who do their best to intimidate her. She notices this, and confides in Mary about a time when Sir Richard blackmailed her into starting the Marconi scandal. Mary has the opportunity to destroy Lavinia with this information, but chose not to, which annoyed Rosamund.

Rosamund lives on her own in a house on Eaton Square which was purchased by her late husband, Mr Marmaduke Painswick, right after their wedding. Her mother looks down on Marmaduke, a wealthy banker, for the humble origins of the Painswick family.