If this whole princess thing doesn't work out for the Duchess of Cambridge, it sounds like she may have a Plan B. It seems Kate Middleton overstayed her visit to the the Downton Abbey set last March, proving she is either the biggest superfan or maybe, just maybe, harbors a secret desire to become the next Michelle Dockery.
Kate surprised everyone when she spent the day on set, hanging out with the cast and crew and learning the ins and outs of TV production. But it seems a then very-pregnant Kate was having such a great time that she wouldn't leave, according to insiders -- and some of the period drama's stars found it difficult to concentrate on their jobs with her there.
Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, told E!:
We weren't sure what to expect, really. We all got quite shy and she was sort of leading the conversation. It was lovely. She's so normal. I know everything says that but she really does try to make everyone feel at ease.
Carmichael says they all "lost their minds" and started talking to Kate about the catering and other boring things because they panicked and had no idea what to say to her -- can you imagine a bunch of super famous people feeling starstruck over Kate?
Meanwhile, what's super awesome about this story is that Kate was as excited about seeing Dockery (Lady Mary), Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley), Jim Carter (Charles), and the rest of the cast as they were to see her.
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Carter says she revealed that she's a huge fan of the show and asked tons of questions -- but that even she didn't get to hear spoilers from the upcoming season. She also couldn't get over how different the set looked in real life and, according to the actor, "She overstayed. She stayed long."
I picture all of the actors, actresses, and crew members breathing a collective sigh of relief the second Kate's car drove away that day. I'm sure she was as lovely as they said, but I can't imagine the pressure they felt to impress her. Having Kate visit your job seems a little like being observed by your boss and the president of the country at the same time.
Luckily, she seems as starstruck with them as they were with her. Perhaps she was hoping they'd ask her to make a cameo? Which will, of course, never, ever happen (Queen E would have a fit). But one can daydream.
Image via Splash News