A WILLS AND ESTATES LESSON FROM DOWNTON ABBEY

Jan 30, 2026

I’ve recently become a big fan of the British drama Downton Abbey which ran for six series (or ‘seasons’ for us North American folk) from 2010 to 2015, plus five Christmas specials and three feature films. The show centres around an aristocratic English family in the early 20^th century who live in the fictional Yorkshire estate of Downton.

The premise of the first series is that Robert Crawley (the Earl of Grantham and the holder of the entail – or life tenancy – that consists of the Downton estate) and his wife have three daughters but no sons. The problem with the entail is that only male heirs could inherit. Thus, Robert’s eldest daughter Mary could never inherit the Downton estate. [Warning: series 3 and 4 spoilers ahead!]

Through a series of events, it was discovered that Robert’s distant cousin Matthew Crawley was the heir presumptive to the entail. Matthew would inherit the entail after Robert’s death and become the next Earl of Grantham. As TV dramas go, Mary and Matthew end up falling in love and marrying. Then, Robert falls into financial trouble and Matthew bails him out by purchasing half of Robert’s life interest in Downton. This gave Matthew control over Downton during Robert’s lifetime. When Robert died, Matthew would become the Earl of Grantham and inherit the whole entail.

Sadly, Matthew dies prematurely in a tragic car accident, with his widow Mary and newborn son George as his survivors. We learn that Matthew died without a will. (Side note, Matthew was a solicitor and didn’t make a will. Tsk.) Since he died intestate, his infant son inherited Matthew’s estate, which included the one-half ownership in Robert’s life interest of Downton.

Robert unilaterally decided that he should be the guardian of George’s share in Downton until he turned 18, probably so that he could take back full control of Downton. Mary objects to that plan and puts herself forward to be the guardian. Family tension! Drama!

It is later discovered that Matthew wrote a letter to Mary and put it in a book in his office just days before he died, which purported to leave his entire estate to her:

My darling Mary,

We are off to Duneagle in the morning and I have suddenly realised that I’ve never made a will or anything like one, which seems pretty feeble for a lawyer and you being pregnant makes it even more irresponsible. I’ll do it properly when I get back and tear this up before you ever see it, but I’ll feel easier that I’ve recorded on paper that I wish you to be my sole heiress. I cannot know if our baby is a boy or a girl but I do know it will be a baby. If anything happens to me before I’ve drawn up a will and so you must take charge. And now I shall sign this and get off home for dinner with you. What a lovely, lovely thought.

Matthew

[Author’s note: WHY would Matthew leave the letter in a book? WHY didn’t he give it to her or put it somewhere more conspicuous? This is pretty bad estate planning for a solicitor.]

The letter was witnessed by two of Matthew’s clients.

Gasp! Is this Matthew’s Last Will and Testament?

Robert’s lawyer investigates, and concludes that Matthew’s letter demonstrates testamentary intention and therefore is upheld as his Last Will and Testament. So, Mary owns half of the Downton estate while Robert’s alive! All’s well that ends well.

Now that I’ve given you a comprehensive play by play of the juicy drama, let’s apply it to modern-day Ontario law.

Intestate Succession

If Mary and Matthew were a married couple with a child in Ontario, would their child inherit the entirety of Matthew’s estate if he died without a will?

Short answer: No. Intestate succession is governed by the Succession Law Reform Act. It provides that where the testator was survived by a spouse and one child, the spouse is entitled to the preferential share of the estate, which is currently prescribed by legislation as $300,000. After payment of the preferential share, the residue of the estate is split into two parts, one for each of the spouse and the child.

For illustrative purposes, let’s say Matthew’s estate was worth $500,000. Mary would get the first $300,000, and the remaining $200,000 would be split equally between Mary and George. Mary would end up with $400,000, and George would get $100,000.

Guardianship of Property of Minors

If George were a baby in Ontario and suddenly inherited money from his deceased father’s estate, could his grandfather Robert or mother Mary simply assume the role as the guardian of George’s property?

Short answer: No. Neither Mary nor Robert can simply assume the role as guardian of George’s property. Assuming that Matthew died intestate, George’s inheritance would have to be paid to the Accountant of the Superior Court of Justice to be held in trust and managed on his behalf until he turned 18 years old. The alternative is for Robert or Mary to apply for guardianship of George’s property under the Children’s Law Reform Act. If guardianship were granted, they would be responsible for managing George’s property pursuant to a court-approved management plan until he turns 18 years old.

Formalities of a Will

Is Matthew’s letter a valid will under Ontario laws?

Short answer: Likely yes. The Succession Law Reform Act requires that wills be in writing, signed by the testator at its end, and witnessed by two witnesses. Testators can also make a holograph will by writing the whole will in his own handwriting and signature, without the requirement of witnessing signatures.

Assuming that there was no dispute that Matthew handwrote the letter and signed it at the end, and since he stated his testamentary intention to dispose of his property by bequeathing his estate to Mary, the letter would likely be upheld as a valid holograph will. The two witness signatures are nice to have but not required, since the letter was written wholly in Matthew’s handwriting.

I have yet to finish the entire show so please no spoilers for series 5, 6, or the films!

Zara Wong

Nothing contained in this post constitutes legal advice or establishes a solicitor-client relationship. If you have any questions regarding your legal rights or legal obligations, you should consult a lawyer.