Downton Abbey fans have just a few more days to wait to see The Grand Finale, the eagerly anticipated third and final film in Julian Fellowes’s much-loved franchise. But, as the Sunday Express can reveal today, one superfan received her own unofficial premiere in June – just days before she died of ovarian cancer.
Grandmother of two and beauty training academies owner Cindy Mackenzie, 67, spent the last few months of her life at St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie after her stage 4 diagnosis in August 2024. After creating a bucket list, she enjoyed a birthday party attended by 100 people, a trip to Gleneagles, and a wedding blessing for her son, Bruce, and his fiancee, Kirsty.
But the Downton devotee became too ill to fulfil one of her dearest wishes – a visit to Highclere Castle, the Hampshire stately home that doubles for Downton Abbey. And that wasn’t the only source of her sadness. “She had just watched all six TV seasons for the seventh time,” explains her daughter and author Michelle, 45. “She was distraught she wouldn’t see the new film because she didn’t think she would live long enough.”
Knowing the film’s release wasn’t until September 12, Michelle felt she had to act. “In May I decided to post on X and asked if any cast member saw my message, would they mind sending a kind word her way?” she says. “To be honest, that was the very most we were hoping for.”
To her shock but utter delight, two cast members (who have asked not to be identified) sent personalised videos and an audio message to Cindy, who was born in the US but moved to Scotland with her Scottish mother when she was 15.
“The audio message was about filming at Highclere Castle and Mum really felt like she was there,” smiles Michelle. “We all were emotional and thankful for this glimpse into Downton.”
The cast and crew were already raising money for charity through a huge Bonhams auction of 226 items from the series – including clothes, props and even a car – which runs now until September 16.
But this was an incredible personal act of benevolence.
Michelle hid the personalised video messages from her mum before telling her she was going to have a Downton Abbey-themed night. Everyone got dressed up and watched a YouTube walk-through of the castle. At the end, Michelle revealed there was a “special surprise” in store for Cindy before playing her the videos.
“She was lost for words,” says Michelle. “Later, I would catch her watching the videos and listening to the voice note, each time with tears in her eyes. Mum just couldn’t believe what these stars from the show had done for her. We all cried together. It just so happened that she was a huge fan of both of these characters, as am I.”
Michelle believes it “speaks volumes” that the actors who offered their time so generously have chosen not to go public with their charitable gesture.
“We are people of faith and knew that everything that happened was more than coincidence – God was watching over Mum,” she says.
The story might have ended there were it not for the cast gathering in London to create promotional material for the new film. A suggestion was made that Downton Abbey’s distributor, Universal Pictures International, might fly someone up to Scotland to show Cindy the new film. When Michelle, her father and Cindy’s husband Colin, a minister, and her brother, photographer Bruce, learned of the kind-hearted proposal, they couldn’t believe it.
“We were blown away, I was shaking, and we decided to tell Mum,” says Michelle. “The doctors had said that it wouldn’t be long so we thought it would give her something to live for.”
With some help from the hospice, Michelle and Bruce organised a screening of Cindy’s favourite festive films in May as she adored Christmas. But no one dared dream that watching the final Downton Abbey film would ever really happen.
That all changed when company representative Nick Quilter flew up from London and made Cindy’s wishes come true on June 4. “My wee mum was putting on her make-up once he texted that he was on the way,” laughs Michelle.
“We expected to sign a NDA [non-disclosure agreement] but he only asked that we not post anything on social media – andwe have not. But we were allowed to take some photos. Bruce got fedora hats for us to wear.” She adds: “We all shared in a moment that has touched our lives forever.
“It took us about five hours to watch the film because Mum needed breaks and that had been built into the schedule. She was thrilled. In her awake moments, her eyes were never off the screen. She held on for this.”
Michelle says that day was the very last day her terminally ill mother left her bed.
The previous week, doctors had only given her a week or twoto live.
“As it happened, she lived until June 19 when she died peacefully listening to her beloved Carpenters,” she says. “We were all at herbedside and fully believe this miraculous event gave us all much more time together.”
She says the family will be forever grateful to everyone involved.
“We still can’t quite believe it and neither could Mum,” she says. “The three of us will be going to the cinema to watch Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale again, in honour of Mum. “We know she will be right there with us.”
Downton Abbey: The Auction runs until Noon on September 16. For full list of costume and props, visit bonhams.com/auction/31605/downton-abbey-the-auction