Julian Fellowes has dedicated Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale to Dame Maggie Smith.

The acclaimed actress - who played Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey - passed away in September 2024, aged 89, and Julian has revealed that he wanted the third film in the franchise to be "haunted by Maggie".

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Julian shared: "I think we all felt that if there was a third film, we wanted it to be haunted by Maggie.

"There is a theme of Maggie going through the film, and then at the end, you see her when Mary is having all her flashbacks. I like that. She was an iconic figure … And that’s another reason to finish."

Julian - who created the Downton series - feels the franchise is ending at the perfect time.

He explained: "We always knew where

See Full Page