Michelle Dockery on Downton Abbey's royal connections and why the US love it so much
DOWNTON Abbey is set to hit our screens at the end of this week in what has been one of the most hotly-anticipated TV returns this year.
And Michelle Dockery has ensured that while the arrival of her baby boy might seem like it has a royal connection, it was simply a coincidence.
The actress - who plays Lady Mary in the hit period drama - will introduce the new heir to Downton on Sunday, who just so happens to share his name with the newest member of the royal family, Prince George.
However, the 31-year-old has insisted that the royal birth "had nothing to do with it" and that they had filmed scenes with baby George much before the world even found out the Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant.
"The day we saw the headlines with the name of the new Prince was an amazing moment, I couldn't believe it at first, but the royal couple are fans of the show, so who knows?" she said in a recent interview with the Radio Times magazine.
However, she goes on to reveal that she believes the royal connections are what make the show such a success in America.
"They don't have an aristocracy so they've got this endless fascination with ours," she said.
“They see a link with Kate and Will’s wedding, the Queen’s jubilee and the royal birth. All these events happened around the same time Downton Abbey was being broadcast in the US and the audiences there see it as a window onto how the royal family lives.”
The star - who has been spotted looking super fashionable during London and New York fashion week over the past couple of weeks - also opened up about how annoying it is that people still bring up her accent.
Michelle grew up in Essex and her accent is a far cry from the cut-glass English she speaks in Downton.
"I'm an actress. That's my job yet people are surprised when I don't sound like Lady Mary," she said.
"It's old news, me and my accent, but it always seems to make headlines."
Meanwhile, co-star Allen Leech - who was also interviewed in the magazine - was quick to bat down any rumours of a Downton Abbey musical.
When asked if Michelle, who is also a jazz singer, was set to sing at any point in the new series, he quipped: "I know what you want. You want to know when you can expect a musical of Downton Abbey.
"The answer is: not just yet."
The full interview is in the new issue of the Radio Times, on sale Tuesday 17 September.
The new series of Downton Abbey returns to ITV1 on Sunday 22 September.