former friend Charlie Grigg. When this secret becomes known in Downton, Carson offers his resignation to Lord Grantham. Amused instead of scandalised at the revelation, Grantham gently declines Carson's offer, ending the matter as a non-issue. In the second series, with most of the male staff depicted as serving in the First World War, Mr Carson finds himself under mostly self-imposed pressure to ensure household duties are carried out to his exacting standards. Carson is mortified when he suffers severe chest pains while serving the family dinner and as a consequence is forced to accept help from the female staff. After the war, with male staff able to be hired, the full household staff are brought up to the pre-war levels and Mr Carson is able to return to solely undertaking the duties of butler. It is revealed in series four that Carson almost married a young woman during his time as a performer but the woman chose Mr Grigg, the other half of the duo. He has a close relationship with Mrs Hughes, built up over a quarter-century of overseeing the household staff. At the end of the series five Christmas special, Carson has purchased a house and added both his and Mrs Hughes's names to the registry, with the intention of asking Mrs Hughes to marry him; she accepts. Series six deals with Carson's and Hughes' marriage and life as a married couple. Still a man of high standards, his reactions to Hughes' cooking lead to a comic incident where he is forced to cook dinner and fails, teaching him to respect her efforts. The final series also deals with Carson downsizing staff to adjust for the current times. In the series finale, Carson begins to suffer from palsy that ultimately forces him into semi-retirement. Barrow succeeds him as butler, with Carson serving in a supervisory role. In the first film, Carson is called back to oversee the royal family's visit to Downton. Mary is concerned that the royal staff is running roughshod over Barrow. Carson is reluctant to go along with the servants' plan to overpower the royal staff and take over serving the royal family, but ultimately agrees under prodding from Mrs Hughes. In the second film, Carson is scandalised that a silent film is being shot on the Downton estate and plans to oversee matters personally with the film people "to keep them in check".