How ‘Downton Abbey’s Edith Finally Found Her Match

Since its inception, Downton Abbey has carved a niche for itself as the standout British historical drama in the 21st century.

The series ran for six seasons, garnering considerable praise from both viewers and critics for its themes, portrayal of major events in British history, and its characters. One of those enchanting characters is Edith Pelham (played by Laura Carmichael), the second daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, the family patriarch and matriarch. Her love life is an often-discussed matter in the show, and she is notably deemed “poor Edith” due to her bad luck in relationships.

However, Edith finally strikes gold, both literally and figuratively, following her courtship with Herbert “Bertie” Pelham (Harry Hadden-Patton). The couple got married on the New Year’s eve in 1925, with Edith inheriting the title of Marchioness of Hexham, outranking both her mother and father in the process. She is shown to have two children in the show: a daughter named Marigold, conceived from her relationship with her deceased lover Michael Gregson, and a boy named Peter, born in 1928 to her and Bertie.

Edith’s husband, Bertie, is the 7th Marquess of Hexham by title. He is the sole owner of the Brancaster castle in Northumberland and was made Brancaster’s agent after the demise of his father in 1923. He served in the military before that and maintains a good friendship with his cousin Peter, the 6th Marquess of Hexham.

Bertie Pelham’s appearances are restricted to the fifth season’s Christmas Special and six episodes in the sixth season, including that season’s Christmas Special, as well as both of the franchise’s theatrical movies. Bertie’s relationship with his wife Edith was commended by the fans, especially because of the latter’s constant poor luck in finding a suitor. The relationship between the two blossoms particularly after Edith’s decision to give Bertie a second chance following his sincere apology for calling off their engagement.

All six seasons of Downton Abbey are available to stream on Netflix U.S.