Real-life royal Kate Middleton to visit key cast on the set of Downton Abbey

Kate Middleton receives flowers as she leaves St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk following the traditional Christmas Day service. Chris Radburn/PA Wire

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day in 2011

Downton Abbey - fast paced advertisements don't complement it.

Joanne Froggatt as Anna in Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is reported to be drawing to a close

Allen Leech and Michelle Dockery

Lady Mary played by Michelle Dockery with Baby George and Tom Branson played by Allen Leech with baby Sybbie - after five successful series, Julian Fellowes's hit drama 'Downton Abbey' will return for a sixth series, ITV and Carnival Pictures have announced

Highclere Castle - the real Downton Abbey

Julian Fellowes, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Lesley Nicol and Gareth Neame attending an exclusive charity screening of Downton Abbey at the Empire cinema in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire

thumbnail: Kate Middleton receives flowers as she leaves St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk following the traditional Christmas Day service. Chris Radburn/PA Wire
thumbnail: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day in 2011
thumbnail: Downton Abbey - fast paced advertisements don't complement it.
thumbnail: Joanne Froggatt as Anna in Downton Abbey
thumbnail: Downton Abbey is reported to be drawing to a close
thumbnail: Allen Leech and Michelle Dockery
thumbnail: Lady Mary played by Michelle Dockery with Baby George and Tom Branson played by Allen Leech with baby Sybbie - after five successful series, Julian Fellowes's hit drama 'Downton Abbey' will return for a sixth series, ITV and Carnival Pictures have announced
thumbnail: Highclere Castle - the real Downton Abbey
thumbnail: Julian Fellowes, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Lesley Nicol and Gareth Neame attending an exclusive charity screening of Downton Abbey at the Empire cinema in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire
Aoife Kelly

Back in 2011 Kate Middleton confessed to Downton Abbey star Jessica Findlay Brown that she and Prince William were both big fans of the show.

And now Kensington Palace has announced that the Duchess of Cambridge will visit her fellow (albeit faux) aristocracy on the set of the hit ITV show.

Kate (33), who is eight months pregnant with her second child, will meet the cast next week, just a few days after they had a visit from Sophie Wessex and Mexico's Angélica Rivera.

The majority of the show, written by Julian Fellowes, is filmed in Ealing Studios in London with some scenes filmed at Highclere Castle in Berkshire, although Kate will be visiting the studio set.

She will meet cast members including Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern who play the Earl and Countess of Grantham, Phyllis Logan who plays Mrs Hughes, and, of course, Dame Maggie Smith who plays the Dowager Countess.

Filming for the sixth series of the drama is underway but it will be the first time Kate visits the cast on set.  Her sister Pippa visited with her parents Michael and Carole Middleton back in 2011.