set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era -with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy. A little research shows that Downton Abbey is not all made up. Just like in the series, the wealthy and powerful British aristocracy survived agricultural decline, estate taxes, and world war, often bolstered by strategic marriage.