The Hon. Evelyn Napier is the son and heir of Viscount Branksome. A modest person and a keen hunter, he is friend of the Crawley family and occasionally visits Downton.
Background
Cora tells Mary that Evelyn's mother was a dear friend of hers, although Cora was unaware that she had died a year earlier.
Biography
1912-1914
Mary Crawley's fiance Patrick has died and she has no interest in the new heir Matthew. Cora learning that he has written to Mary and is staying nearby with friends tells her to invite him to Downton. She later discusses him with Lord Grantham and his mother, Dowager Countess Violet. They all agree that Evelyn Napier is considered a good match for her, and that the Napiers are wealthy. Mary is to write and invite him to Downton Abbey for an hunt, and Mary is to ride out with him. Evelyn asks the Crawleys if he may invite Kemal Pamuk, his friend from the Turkish embassy to join him, as he is interested in seeing an English fox hunt.
Initially he had been asked to take on the task of squiring Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk in English society as a duty, but Evelyn found that he liked him more and more, the longer he knew him. Evelyn is very fond of Mary, but he is overshadowed in his pursuit of her attention by the handsome and charming Pamuk, who monopolizes her attention. The next morning Kemal is found dead in his bed and Napier is greatly saddened by his friend's death.
As for Mary, he realizes that she finds him boring and, therefore, decides not to pursue her romantically any further. He joins Lady Grantham as she is walking on the estate grounds and tells her the that while he does not consider himself a very interesting person, he feels that his future wife should think him so.
Rosamund later mentioned in a letter to Lord Grantham that Evelyn is intending to marry one of the Semphill girls, but he informs Mary he has recently ended his engagement when he visits her in London.
Lady Mary and Evelyn Napier.
Evelyn is the first person to alert Mary of a rumor circulating about her and Pamuk. He feels somewhat responsible for Mary's social problems, because he had brought Pamuk to Downton, and the scandal would not have happened, otherwise. To make up for this debt he believed he owed, he called in favors and found out that the source of these rumors are from her sister Edith, who had written a letter to the Turkish ambassador.
Mary later mentions receiving a letter from Evelyn that he was injured fighting in the First World War and requesting that he be brought from Middlesbrough to Downton Abbey to recover.
1922-1923
Evelyn returns to Downton in 1922, following the Great War. Mary is happy to see him again after the death of her husband, Mathew Crawely. He tells her he is working on a government project regarding the rural economy, part of which involves assessing estates' survival following the War, to assess which ones are beyond recovery and will need to 'sell up.' Napier assures Mary, Robert, and Cora that Downton is not one of those in danger, however, yet insists that many other estates are not so fortunate. But Mary still would like his and his colleagues' opinions on their management. The family insists he stay there while working, rather than a hotel in Ripon he was considering. Although hesitant at first, Evelyn accepts the invitation. Edith is the first to wonder if he is still in pursuit of Mary after his arrival before the War with Pamuk.
He returns to Downton shortly afterward, accompanied by his boss, Charles Blake. Mary expresses hopes that they are primarily there to advise the estate on how to endure. However, Blake replies "not quite" as they are in fact only concerned with drafting a report about their effect on the overall economy. Mary and Blake begin to exchange nasty remarks. She later remarks to Napier, "You seem to have brought a traitor into our midst."
Napier however insists Blake is not a traitor to either the nobility or the aristocricy. Blake also makes some disrespectful remarks about Mary and her heritage, which visibly upsets Evelyn, who insists Lady Mary dislikes him equally. Later, when Blake's feelings for Mary begin to change and Lord Gillingham arrives, Evelyn notes the increased competition for her affections.
Evelyn is mentioned by Mary as being in France in 1923, working for the government.
Personality
Evelyn is a modest and kind person.
Relationships
Note: This is a generic section stub. Expand it by clicking Edit to right of the section title.Mary Crawley
Evelyn loves Mary, having pursued her in 1912 and then again in 1922.
Kemal Pamuk
Evelyn grows to like Kemal after they spend time together, but is upset when Kemal steals Mary's attention.
Charles Blake
Charles is Evelyn's boss and they get along well, but a wedge is driven between them over their opinions of Mary.
Quotes
Appearances
| Appearances and Mentions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 Mentioned |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 | Episode 5 Mentioned |
Episode 6 | Episode 7 Appears |
— | — |
| Series 2 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 Mentioned |
Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 4 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 Appears |
Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Mentioned |
| Series 5 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 6 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
Behind the scenes
Evelyn Napier is a character I like; he pops up in two or three episodes, mainly being decent and good, but never showy. Brendan Patricks plays him with diffidence and skill, and I find him very beguiling. I am not sure we’ve seen the last of him, actually - Julian Fellowes[citation needed]