The maid to the Dowager Countess in the later seasons is Denker. Gladys Denker serves Violet Crawley as her lady’s maid, entering the story in Season 5 after Violet’s previous maid, Collins, leaves to marry.
Denker is not a quiet or submissive servant. She frequently quarrels with Violet’s butler, Septimus Spratt, and the pair compete through gossip, schemes and attempts to damage each other’s standing. Violet often finds their rivalry amusing, even when it creates tension in the dower house.
Denker’s most serious conflict comes when Violet learns that she has insulted Dr Clarkson. Violet dismisses her, but Spratt later helps secure her reinstatement after Denker threatens to expose his secret involvement in helping his nephew, an escaped convict. This episode captures the show’s recurring mixture of social hierarchy, loyalty and servant politics.
Anna, O’Brien and Baxter are all Downton servants, but they serve different members of the household and appear in different storylines. Denker is specifically associated with Violet, the Dowager Countess.