Kate Middleton takes a tour of the Downton Abbey set
You’d have thought (being actual royalty and all) that the Duchess Of Cambridge may have felt more at home ‘upstairs’ with the Lords and Ladies of Downton Abbey, rather than taking a tour of the servants' quarters.
But that’s exactly what she did this morning, visiting the Ealing Studios in west London (where most of Downton’s ‘downstairs’ scenes are filmed) in one of her last public appearances before she heads off on maternity leave.
Kate chose a cream dress coat by high-street maternity label Jojo Maman Bebe, which at £69 is a bit of a bargain. She went for a head-to-toe monochrome look with black pumps by Jimmy Choo and a coordinating black clutch. See all the pictures in the gallery above and chart the Duchess' favourite fashion brands, here.
Executive producer Liz Trubridge led Kate on a tour of the studios, meeting with the ITV series’ creator Lord Julian Fellowes before exploring the hair and make-up trailers, and prop stores, as well as watching the show's costume designers at work.
The Duchess also met with key cast members Dame Maggie Smith (who plays Lady Violet Crawley the Dowager Countess of Grantham) as well as ‘downstairs’ staff like Phyllis Logan (Mrs Hughes), Lesley Nicol (Mrs Patmore) and Sophie McShera (Daisy Mason).
Kensington Palace has kept fans updated all morning with a live stream of insider snaps. We love this shot of Kate with lady's maid Anna Bates (played by Joanne Froggatt) and Lady Mary Crawley (played by Michelle Dockery in full flapper dress).
When she arrived on the set this morning, Kate was presented with flowers by four-year-old Zac Barker, who plays Lady Mary's son George (a character named after the first royal baby, no less).
Team Downton tweeted their excitement before she arrived:
‘We're all rather excited truth be told! #Downton RT @h2hg: #duchessatdownton just heard arrival in 12 minutes!’ they wrote on the official account.
Kate and William are both said to be huge fans of the show, and reportedly took a private tour of Highclere Castle in Hampshire (where Downton’s ‘upstairs’ scenes are filmed) with the whole Middleton family last year.