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Downton Abbey teases fans with behind the scenes snap of Lily James

Will Lily be back for the Downton sequel? 

lily james flowers
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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Downton Abbey shared a snap of Lily James as Rose on the official Instagram account a while back - and we hope it means that she might be coming back to the franchise!

SEE: Meet the Downton Abbey cast's sweet real-life families

The post showed Rose dressed to the nines for her coming out ball, and the caption read: “A peek #BehindTheScenes of Rose's coming out ball.” However, they made it clear that it was a throwback pic, adding: “#Season4.” 

WATCH: Did you enjoy the first Downton Abbey film?

Lily has previously opened up about why it is unlikely that she will be making a comeback to Downton, previously explaining to People"My character Rose moved off to New York, so it would be farfetched to bring her back.

READ: Everything we know so far about the Downton Abbey film sequel

MORE: The Downton Abbey children are all grown up! See the photos here

"I would have loved to have come back for a scene, but for a movie it can’t be like a Christmas special and it needs to be a focused storyline. There was no space for Rose… I’m so excited for it — I’m going to be front row. I spoke to Laura [Carmichael] not long ago and was texting Michelle [Dockery] about Love Island and it's going to be really exciting. And the whole gang is coming back." 

View post on Instagram
 

Although it is unlikely we will see Lily in the sequel, the upcoming film has recently announced some major stars as new cast members for the sequel which will be titled Downton Abbey: A New Era and be released in the UK on 18 March 2022.

lily speakeasy

Lily played Rose on the hit show

Viewers will be introduced to several new faces in the form of Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West.

MORE: Did you spot this Downton Abbey star in Death in Paradise?

Hugh is perhaps best known for his role as Will Graham in the hit series Hannibal, while Laura is known for her roles in White Lines and Guardians of the Galaxy. Meanwhile, French actress Nathalie has appeared in Catch Me If You Can and Call My Agent, while Dominic is best known for starring in The Wire and The Affair - he is also set to play Prince Charles in The Crown.

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