Downton Abbey’s Laura Carmichael, who plays mournful aristocratic daughter Lady Edith Crawley, is set for a starring role in the Christmas special.

The show airing on Christmas Day will be Downton’s last episode, as the show wraps up after six series – and viewers find out whether Lady Edith finally gets her happy ending.

Downton Abbey's Lady Edith
Downton Abbey’s Lady Edith (ITV)

The end of the previous episode saw Lady Mary walk down the aisle for a second time. But Lady Edith was last seen visiting the grave of her sister Sybil as she mulled over an uncertain future.

Speaking at an orchestra recording of the finale, she told the Radio Times that she would have a crucial scene with Samantha Bond, who plays aunt Rosamund: “Today they’re scoring the final scene, with Sam and a person who I can’t name.”

Could it be her almost-fiance Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton), who was so keen to marry her – until he found out she had concealed the truth about Marigold being her daughter?

Harry Hadden-Paton as Bertie Pelham in Downton Abbey
Harry Hadden-Paton as Bertie Pelham in Downton Abbey (Nick Briggs/ITV)

Laura, 29, teased details of the episode, revealing: “It was a night shoot – we started at 1am and shot until 6am. Michelle (Dockery) was doing the clapperboard. Gareth (Neame, executive producer) was dressed as the maitre d’, and all of the crew were in costume.”

Laura Carmichael
Laura Carmichael (Dan Steinberg/Invision)

She said: “The last moment of Downton is a close-up on me, at 6am, trying to remember all the lines. It was a lot of pressure trying to keep it together but when they shouted wrap and we all had champagne, it was magical!”