Violet was the daughter of a Baronet and had at least one sister, the mother of her niece and goddaughter, Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire.[2] While she was born into nobility, her family was relatively impoverished and she brought almost no money with her upon marriage. When she married the 4th Earl of Grantham sometime before 1860, she brought her noble blood but little money into her marriage.[3] After her wedding, she was "pursued" by Lord Hepworth's father.

Violet gave birth to two children, a son and heir, Robert and a daughter, Rosamund. Not following in their mother's footsteps, her children married into money rather than nobility. The Countess was against Robert's engagement and marriage to the American heiress Cora Levinson, in 1889,[5] but did reap the benefits of her fortune.

Violet Crawley has always been a woman who prefers to have a firm grip on matters, sometimes manipulating with her cunningness to change people's perception about things. One of her major motives is to protect the honor of the family and to safeguard it from ever becoming a topic of gossip. She is known to be sarcastic and competitive. Yet, throughout the whole series so far, Violet has developed a deeper side of sensitivity. She takes great love with her family and would prioritise them. For example, Violet agreed to be of assistance to Mary, should Mary be in the face of humiliation and scandal. She did this because she knows and understands how important Mary is in Violet's life, not only as a lady, but as a Granddaughter as well. Violet is a humorous and cheeky, but also fair woman who stands up for her beliefs.