Find out what happened when Downton Abbey and the royal family became the subject of new political talks...
Kate Middleton and Downton Abbey have met on an unexpected occassion, as the popular pair were the subject of recent political talks.
Being raised in a recent House of Lords Committee, the hit ITV drama was named alongside the royal family as possible new solutions to boosting UK business.
Although not a completely unlikely pair - if only by the measure of how much we love them both - Kate and Downton are now suggested to be the next routes to helping Britain build relationships with foreign businesses.
Raising the new discussion this week, former engineering boss, David Stanley, said the duo could help to establish ‘a dialogue and trust’ and encourage more firms to 'do businesses'.
“If it’s Downton Abbey or the Olympics or the opening of Parliament, they are all areas where you can establish a dialogue and trust,” David said.
While John Barry, the Shell coroporation's chairmain in Abu Dhabi, looked to took a more traditional approach: "There's a significant number of countries where [the Royal Family] are incredibly important in creating contacts at the top level."
The committee’s chairman, Conservative Lord Howell of Guildford, added: “So we now have a paradox where royalty is leading us into a new era of soft power.”
Meanwhile Downton continues to make headlines out of parliament, for it’s controversial scenes and brave script writing gripping audiences throughout season 4. Which reaches its dramatic finale this week, sob.
New mum, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been a contast source of British pride since tieing the knot with Prince William in April 2011, with the birth of Prince George capturing the nation's hearts this summer. From there, she's returned to her charity work, continued to shop the high street and prove her party mettle with a huge housewarming.
But do you think Downton and the royals are good for British business? Share your thoughts in the comments box below...
Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad, Kindle (just search the store for 'marie claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus.