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Is there a 'Gilded Age' and 'Downton Abbey' crossover in the works?


The wedding between Gladys and the Duke was lavish but clearly unhappy, at least for Gladys. (Courtesy: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO)
The wedding between Gladys and the Duke was lavish but clearly unhappy, at least for Gladys. (Courtesy: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO)
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If you’re a fan of “The Gilded Age” and series creator Julian Fellowes other hit series, “Downton Abbey,” you may be in luck for a crossover. Emphasis on maybe.

Episode four of “The Gilded Age” delivered on the wedding of the century, sending sweet Gladys off to England with her Duke for a new life and a permanent position in society, care of her mother, Bertha.

The mid-season teaser showed Gladys adjusting to life in English society, an American lost among the British nobility.

“Downton Abbey” fans will recognize this storyline as being similar to the tale of Cora and Robert Crawley from the hit British series.

Cora, like Gladys, was a young American heiress married to a British noble who was title and land rich but cash poor. That kind of marriage was incredibly common in the actual historical Gilded Age but unlike Gladys, Cora wasn’t forced into her relationship and truly loved her husband.

So, will Gladys and Cora cross paths anytime soon?

Not likely, according to Fellowes. “The Gilded Age” series began in 1882 and with the latest episode puts us in spring of 1883, and while Fellowes acknowledges the characters from “Downton Abbey” exist in this era, the timeline isn’t quite there.

"If we got back into Downton Abbey in 1880, we find Violet at a young age, running around," Fellowes told People Magazine, referring to the late Maggie Smith’s character.

He added that if we were to see Downton, "it's not the people we know that we would find at Downton Abbey” and would instead be "Violet's husband as a young man.

“It really is quite a long way from ‘Downton Abbey’ that we've got to know and love."

Fellowes told Deadline that “Downton” is set in 1912, almost 30 years after “Gilded Age.”

When asked by the outlet if there could be stories connected to the “Downton” characters’ ancestors, he teased, “Maybe. We’re not done yet, so we’ll see.”

The best fans can hope for now is picturing one of the lavishly dressed young women in the background of a scene at the opera is a young Cora, looking for a suitable match.

“The Gilded Age” airs Sunday on HBO Max.

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