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The Queen’s grandparents to feature in the new Downton Abbey film

It’s one of the most anticipated movies of the year and the first trailers for the Downton Abbey film have a very royal feel indeed. For in this new installment, the Crawley family welcome King George V and Queen Mary to their stately home for a visit.

The royal pair will be seen coming to stay at Downton and causing quite the stir while they do it as the Earl of Grantham and his family are coping with fewer staff and tighter budgets as the movie brings the action all the way up to 1927.

It’s not the first time the royal pair have been brought to life again at Downton. George V and Queen Mary were seen as characters of the debutante ball given for Lady Rose where they were joined by two of their sons, Edward (played by Oliver Dimsdale) and Bertie (Jonathan Towsend).

This latest kingly twist has been revealed in the new tease for the film which is set to be released in September 2019 in the UK. Although the actual details of the fictional visit haven’t been revealed, long time fans will be hoping for at least one war of words between Queen Mary and the matriarch of Downton, the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Maggie Smith.

All the other favourite stars of the TV series return for the film version with Hugh Bonneville back as the Earl, Elizabeth McGovern reprising her part as Cora, Countess of Grantham and Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael playing their warring daughters, Lady Mary and Lady Edith. Below stairs, Jim Carter returns as Carson accompanied by Phyllis Logan as housekeeper Elsie Carson (although she’ll be Mrs Hughes to many).

Downton Abbey began in 2010 and quickly became one of the most popular and successful British TV programmes of recent years. It came to an end in 2015 with the film version confirmed in 2018.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.