'It's amazing the journey that everyone has been on'

The stars of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, including Michelle Dockery, reflect on saying goodbye as the beloved franchise reaches its final chapter

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Historical dramas have long been a staple of British film and television, but few have captured audiences' hearts quite like Downton Abbey.

Created by Oscar winner Lord Julian Fellowes, the acclaimed period drama is set on the fictional Yorkshire estate of Downton Abbey and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their household staff.

First airing in the UK in 2010, the series became a global phenomenon, running for six acclaimed seasons. Its success extended to the big screen with two feature films: Downton Abbey in 2019 and Downton Abbey: A New Era in 2022.

Now, after 15 years of captivating audiences, the Crawleys and their staff prepare to bid farewell in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the final chapter of the beloved franchise. The third and final film follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. As the beloved cast of characters navigates how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter.

The third film will be the first without veteran actress Dame Maggie Smith, who played Violet Crawley and who died in September 2024 aged 89.

The new Downton Abbey film sees stars including Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Talbot, Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith James-Collier and Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates, all reprise their roles.

Dockery, 43, who plays the eldest Crawley daughter, says her character is navigating a divorce and grieving her grandmother Violet in this film. "At the start of the film, she is almost no longer Lady Mary Talbot. She is separated and about to officially divorce," explains the London-born actress.