"Downton Abbey" is British television at its finest. Set at the palatial Highclere Castle in Newbury, England , the show follows the residents of this grand old estate through the turbulence of the early 20th century. Over the course of six seasons, five Christmas specials, and three movies, viewers watch as the old rules governing the British aristocracy slowly fall apart. As a result, all the characters — from valets to maids to the titled aristocrats residing at the house — must reinvent themselves and move into a new era. Oftentimes, tragedy mars this transition, as characters suffer grave accidents, medical emergencies, and violent attacks.

But, if the tragedies shown on-screen were shocking, they were no more surprising than the ones suffered by the "Downton Abbey" cast in real l

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