Katherina Treadaway

""There's more to life than just being paraded around as a man's plaything. No, I want more out of life.""

- - Katherina to Sybil

Katherina Cornelia Treadaway, Countess of Stillwater (née Crawley; born 1895) is the eldest daughter of the late Cornelius Crawley and his widow Augusta Crawley (née Dawson), sister of Celia Bennett, Countess of Henrietta. She is the aunt and godmother of twins Charlie and Winifred Bennett. She is also the second cousin of Caroline Talbot and Marigold Pelham as well as the next heir of Downton Abbey George Crawley. She is also the wife of Percy Treadaway, the Earl of Stillwater and the mother of an unborn child.

Early Life
Katherina is the eldest child of Augusta and the late Cornelius Crawley. She is a politically conscious woman who considered the lives and feelings of the underprivileged. Her aristocratic heritage was less important to her than finding love and a place in the world. She and her first cousin, Lady Sybil were known as inseparable during their youth.

1912-14
Katherina arrives at Downton in the fall of 1912 after her mother decided that Yorkshire would be good for her. Katherina has made a reputation for herself in London as "The Shrew" like her namesake. Her mother worries that she is too wild and opinionated and maybe needs some "straightening out" so she sends Katherina to her Uncle Robert's house.

When war broke out in 1914, Katherina and the rest of the Crawley family did their own part in turning Downton into a Convalescent Home.

1916-19
While keeping the house as a convalescent home, Katherina starts to take up a role of nursing alongside her cousin Lady Sybil. She is cheered by this, although it exposes her to the horrors of war first hand while helping Sybil and the nurses care for the wounded soldiers.

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
The relationship between Robert and his niece is described as a fatherly one, as Katherina's father died when she was a baby. Robert is very fond of his niece and though they have different views about some things, Robert has always been more supportive of Katherina trying to find her own way into the world.

Matthew Crawley
Katherina was generally fond of Matthew. She was one of the few who welcomed him into the family right away. She also stayed very supportive of his decisions even when the rest of the family didn't agree.

Lady Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham
Unlike a lot of the family, Katherina would usually be on Edith's side when she and Mary got into fights, however, Katherina wasn't shy about letting either Mary or Edith know when they were being mean and spiteful to each other. She always reiterated to Edith and Tom Branson that they needed to stick together.

Lady Sybil Branson
Katherina and Lady Sybil had been noted as inseparable since birth. Katherina notes to Tom that her and Lady Sybil would get into mischief when they were younger.

Lady Mary Talbot
Unlike a lot of the family, Katherina would not usually be on Mary's side when she and Edith got into fights, however, Katherina wasn't shy about letting either Mary or Edith know when they were being mean and spiteful to each other.

Lady Celia Bennett, Countess of Henrietta
Katherina is very fond and likes to dote on her little sister. She was also shown to be very protective of her after she heard of Demetrius Bennett and Celia's courtship.

Tom Branson
Hired to be the Crawley family chauffeur, Tom inspired both Katherina Lady Sybil to get involved in political causes.

Unlike the rest of the family, when Tom became engaged to her best friend and cousin, Katherina was encouraging of the relationship, though did try to persuade the pair to not elope.

Katherina seemed to always help Tom remember that he was "always going to be a Crawley" and that he, Edith and herself need to stick together as the rebels of the family.

Augusta Crawley
Katherina and Augusta's relationship has been a bit strained since Augusta is more traditional and just wants to her daughters to marry well, instead of asking what they want in their lives.

She sends Katherina to Downton to see if she would be "straightened out" since she finds her daughter to be too opinionated. Their relationship becomes less strained as the series goes on.

Percy Treadaway, Earl of Stillwater
Katherina met Percy Treadaway in late 1922 and was at first cold towards him. As someone to inherit a title, Katherina saw him as nothing more than the other men who she had encountered, arrogant and self-centered. However, at his first visit to Downton Abbey, he showed that he was not those things and they start a courtship. They were engaged by late 1924. By 1927, they are married and expecting their first child together.

Spoken by Lady Katherina

 * "I’m a failure. Edith is off being an editor, Mary is the agent to Downton and I am a failure." - to her future husband, Percy Treadaway
 * "Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I’m so sick of it!" - in response to Violet scolding her for "misbehaving."
 * "We're rebels, you and I. We need to look out for each other." - to Tom Branson
 * "Talent isn’t genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be great, or nothing. I won’t be a common-place dauber, so I don’t intend to try anymore." - to Percy Treadaway when she doubts she'll ever be a great painter
 * "There's more to life than just being paraded around as a man's plaything. No, I want more out of life." - to Lady Sybil about Katherina's mother nagging her about marriage
 * "I'm an opinionated woman, and I will not apologize for it." - to Robert Crawley

About Lady Katherina

 * "No one makes their own way, least of all a woman. You'll have to marry well." - Augusta Crawley
 * "My sister may be opinionated, but she is the best person I know." - Celia to her future husband Demetrius Bennett