Downton Abbey prequel about Lady Violet Crawley in the works - report

Lady Violet Crawley has always been a major fan favourite in Downton Abbey . Portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith , the quick-thinking, sardonic matriarch of the Crawley family is one of the most beloved characters on the show - and now it appears that she is getting a TV show all to herself!

According to the Daily Mail, the makers of the hit franchise are looking at making a prequel series about Lady Violet and her romances as a younger woman, which will be set in the 1800s and include some of the storylines touched on in the original series, including her love story with Prince Igor Kuragin. In the show, she said: "Every woman goes down the aisle with half the story hidden," so we can't wait to get the full story!

Speculation has already started on who would be taking on the iconic role, with House of the Dragon star Emily Carey and Yellowjacket actress Ella Purnell among the top names that producers want for the gig. Another popular choice is The Crown actress Viola Prettejohn, who played the young Queen Elizabeth in season five.

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Maggie Smith has previously spoken about the role, admitting that it wasn't her favourite thing to do. She told the Standard: "I am deeply grateful for the work in Potter and indeed Downton but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying.

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"I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things. I wanted to get back to the stage so much because theatre is basically my favourite medium, and I think I felt as though I’d left it all unfinished. But there wasn’t anything that came along."

Chatting on The Graham Norton Show, she added: "It's only since Downton that people seem to know me, who stop me and ask me - but that's television for you… I was in Waitrose and a little boy was at the check out with his mother and he kept looking at me, and I said, 'Can I help you?' And he said, 'It's alright, it'll come to me in a minute.'"

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A third film in the hit franchise is currently in the works, and sees the likes of Joely Richardson, Paul Giamatti, Alessandro Nivola and Simon Russell Beale join the Downton cast. While little is known about the plot so far, Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael were spotting filming in character as Lady Mary and Lady Edith respectively.