What is the name of Cora Crawley's mother in Downton Abbey?

Martha Levinson is Cora Crawley’s mother in Downton Abbey.

Martha is an American heiress from New York and the mother of Cora, Lady Grantham. Her marriage to Isidore Levinson gave Cora the fortune that helped secure the Crawley estate, linking American wealth with the British aristocracy.

Shirley MacLaine plays Martha in the television series. She first appears during the third series, when she visits Downton for Mary and Matthew’s wedding. Martha’s outspoken manner and modern American outlook contrast sharply with the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, creating some of the show’s most memorable clashes over class, etiquette and tradition.

Martha should not be confused with Maud Bagshaw, another American-connected character introduced later, or Isobel Crawley, who is Matthew’s mother. Violet Crawley is Cora’s mother-in-law, not her mother. Martha also appears in the 2019 film Downton Abbey, again played by MacLaine.