The China Mail - Downton Abbey fans pay homage to 'beautiful' props before finale

Everyone has their favourite piece, including Charlie Thomas of London's Bonhams auction house which is holding the sale.

He had no hesitation in highlighting the "bell wall", the servant's call system which appears from the first series to the last, as his favourite item.

"Just to prove it's a working bell, look at that -- I expect someone's going to deliver tea in a minute," he joked while testing out the item, which is valued between £6,000 and £8,000.

Thomas, who is in charge of the auction, suspects that it will smash its pre-sale valuation.

The online sale began on Monday and will end on September 16, with the public invited to an exhibition of all the items before they go under the hammer.

"We've already had a huge amount of interest coming from across the globe, especially from America, from Europe, a lot from northern Europe, from Asia," he added.

"People have sort of fallen in love with these characters".

- 'Beautiful' -

The television series, created by Julian Fellowes, first aired in the UK in 2010 before conquering the world.

It tells the story of the wealthy aristocratic Crawley family and their servants over a 30-year period, spanning six seasons and 52 episodes.

More than 120 million viewers worldwide have seen the show, according to Bonhams.

Two films were released in 2019 and 2022 and a third, "The Grand Finale", is due out on September 12.

It will focus on divorce and the Crawley's survival in a constantly changing world.

Visitors to the exhibition on Monday viewed the pieces with a reverential eye, with one woman taking a long look at the cane used by Violet Crawley, played by Maggie Smith, who died in September 2024.

"It's a beautiful item," she told AFP, without giving her name.

"I would like to buy the cane for my mother-in-law who is turning 70, but I am not sure how she'll take it," she added, with a smile.

Other highlights include Lord and Lady Grantham's 1925 Sunbeam saloon car, which still runs (valued between £25,000 and £35,000), the dress worn by Lady Mary at her wedding to Matthew Crawley (valued between £3,000 and £5,000), and a pair of harem pants belonging to Lady Sybil, valued similarly.

- 'Glamorous' -

"My favourite piece(s) right now are just all the dresses. I don't think I could even pick one, they're all just so beautiful," said Hailey Bradley, a 23-year-old American living in London.

"It's so glamorous," added Bradley, who described herself as "a big fan."

Lucia Campara, an Italian woman from Milan, came with her husband and their 11-year-old daughter, Giulia.

She organised the family holiday with the goal of visiting important places in Jane Austen's life, and discovering the worlds of Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.

"It's a unique occasion to see all those objects that will soon disappear," she explained.

But Campara does not plan to bid, saying: "The best pieces will cost too much and anyway, it is not something you would use in your daily life."

Jenny Foster, an 85-year-old British woman, was particularly interested in 1920s dresses, as she expressed her disappointment that the saga was coming to an end.

"In fact, I shall probably watch it all again anyway now, because I've forgotten some of it now," she said.

The proceeds from the sale will be donated to UK children's charity "Together for Short Lives".

K.Leung--ThChM