Duchess Of Cambridge Meets Chiswick Members Of 'Downton' Cast

Visits Ealing Studios to see how the popular programme is made

The Duchess of Cambridge - Kate Middleton - who's said to be a keen fan of the show - has been touring the 'downstairs' bit of Downton Abbey's set today. And included in the cast members she met were the three actors from Chiswick; Lesley Nicol, (Mrs Patmore), Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Cora), and Phyllis Logan ( Mrs. Hughes)

Lesley Nicol pictured second from left ( pic Kensington palace)

The Duchess been visiting the indoor/servants quarters - filmed at Ealing Studios. The outdoor/ 'upstairs' shots are filmed at Highclere Castle, in Hampshire. She also unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit to the set. Downton Abbey attracts an audiance of around 120 million worldwide.

Phyllis Logan and Elizabeth Mc Govern are in middle of centre and back rows;images Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace said the visit had been arranged to "celebrate the success of the award-winning production", which is one of the most popular TV shows in the world, broadcast in 250 territories.

They have been tweeting from the event #DuchessAtDownton ( @KensingtonRoyal ) and photos of the Duchess on the twitter feed showed her meeting cast and production staff.

Pic- @ Kensington Royal

Ealing Studios, which opened in 1902, is the oldest continuously working studio for film production in the world, and is best known for classic Ealing comedies including The Ladykillers and Kind Hearts And Coronets. It's still a film studio and is also home to the Met Film school.

The Duchess - who is eight months pregnant with her second child -watched a scene from the new series being filmed. It's expected to be one of her last engagements before she is due to give birth.

March 12, 2015