As the new season begins, Robert Crawley, the current Earl of Grantham and family patriarch, has apparently committed several basic investing mistakes.

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"Downton Abbey" centers on a British aristocrat, Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, who has three daughters but no sons to whom he can leave his estate, as required under British property rules at the time.

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"If I knew why the show was so successful, I'd be a billionaire, " said Hugh Bonneville, who stars as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, and enjoys watching "Curb Your Enthusiasm" "on loop" in his spare time.

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The selectors have gone for Smith, rather than Graham Thorpe, under an injury cloud, or the tried and tested Robert Key or John Crawley because they feel he is in prime form.

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