Lily James ascended to stardom after her turn as Lady Rose on Downton Abbey and hasn't been on the Masterpiece show since her wedding in the Christmas special of Season 5. Yet, weddings bring families together and Lady Rose returned to Downton Abbey for Edith and Bertie's wedding in the series finale. With husband Atticus by her side, Rose was welcomed back to Downton Abbey with open arms for the final moments of the series.
Cousin Rose first showed up in the show during Season 3, but she was brought in to bring some life to Downton during Season 4 after youngest daughter Lady Sybil died. Although she probably gave the Grantham/Crawley family a few gray hairs during her stay, Rose's vibrant personality added fun to the show. With her two parents at odds with one another, she looked to Robert and Cora as parent figures during her time at Downton before she married Atticus Aldridge in Season 5.
Not only did Rose reveal she and Atticus already have a child (!!) in the series finale, but she also made herself useful during her stay. After Lord Grantham had complained about Cora working too much at the hospital, Rose made him see for himself what an impressive leadership role his wife had taken on. Robert was taken aback by how professional his wife was and told her so, thanks to the wise actions of Rose.
Rose obviously matured a lot over her three seasons on Downton Abbey, but becoming a wife and mother definitely helped her make Lord Grantham see reason. Who would have guessed that wild child Rose would become such a respectable lady — and an early advocate for women in power positions to boot? Although I wish Robert had just accepted Cora's role at the hospital, their relationship struggle gave Rose a small, but meaningful send-off on Downton Abbey.
Image: Courtesy of (C) Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2015 for MASTERPIECE
