Downton Abbey: Lady Violet's Foolproof Guide to Taking Charge

Time and time again, Dame Maggie Smith has turned in one solid season after another as our dearest Dowager Countess Lady Violet on Downton Abbey. The strong female characters of the PBS show are multifaceted and flawed, and we see a little of ourselves in each of them. But the strongest and most outspoken of the bunch is clearly Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, played to perfection by Maggie. And while she's a bit rough around the edges (and her advice is far from politically correct, by today's standards), she says it how it is and doesn't let her age or gender prevent her from getting things done. To commemorate (and mourn) the show's tragic end, check out the best quotes from Lady Violet to learn a lesson in brazenness from the matriarch of Downton Abbey.