Last hurrah for Downton Abbey cast

Daily Mail

12 Aug, 2015 02:30 AM2 mins to read

Laura Carmichael and Michelle Dockery attend as BAFTA celebrate Downton Abbey at Richmond Theatre, England. Photo / Getty Images

Just a few hours before there was not a dry eye among them as they finished filming the final scenes of Downton Abbey.

But the Crawley family and their loyal staff are famous for their stiff upper lips.

So, in a final flourish befitting the glory days of the aristocratic house, they put on their glad rags and had a party.

Characters past and present hit the red carpet for a Bafta tribute to mark the end of the popular ITV period drama.

Elizabeth McGovern, 54, who stars as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, led the way in a white mini-dress with a frilled hem that showed off an impressive pair of pins.

Lily James attends as BAFTA celebrate Downton Abbey at Richmond Theatre, England. Photo / Getty Images

Lily James, who plays Lady Rose Aldridge, also chose a white number, teaming it with a pair of heels with pom-poms. Michelle Dockery, 33, who plays Lady Mary, and her on-screen sister Laura Carmichael, 29, or Lady Edith, chose more demure full-length gowns.

Joanne Froggatt, 34, who plays lady's maid Anna Bates, also wore a column dress but with added sparkle in the form of sequin-encrusted straps.

Characters who had passed away in series gone by also appeared including Zoe Boyle, 26, who played Lavina Swire, the fiancee of Matthew Crawley who died of Spanish Flu.

Zoe Boyle attends as BAFTA celebrate Downton Abbey at Richmond Theatre, England. Photo / Getty Images

Dan Stevens, 32, whose character Matthew was controversially killed in a car crash in the 2012 Christmas special, is now a Hollywood star. But revealing his fondness for the programme, he joined Hugh Bonneville, or the Earl of Grantham, and his wife Lulu Williams at the event at the Richmond Theatre in south-west London.