Match and despatch in Downton

In an interview about the programme, which stars Hugh Bonneville and Dame Maggie Smith, the 29-year-old says devotees to the show will be “really surprised” by the plots.

The ITV show – which follows the Crawley family as Britain heads into the First World War – became a runaway success during its first series.

On the latest series, Dockery, who plays Lady Mary, said: “There’s a wedding, a funeral and a sex scene. I’m in two, no wait, I’m in one of those,”

“The thing is, I can see people will think that I am involved in a particular one of those three, but I’m not. People will be really surprised.”

Dockery said the scandal that haunted her character in the first series would rear its head again.