Michelle Dockery is expecting her first child with husband Jasper Waller-Bridge

In an unexpected announcement, Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery has revealed she is pregnant, anticipating the arrival of her first child with her husband, Jasper Waller-Bridge.

The 43-year-old Dockery made her pregnancy public by showcasing her visible baby bump at the global debut of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, held at London's Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Wednesday, September 3. Radiating elegance, the star graced the red carpet in a sweeping dusty blue off-the-shoulder gown, accessorized with shimmering silver jewelry. Her husband, 37-year-old Waller-Bridge, offered a beaming smile and held Dockery’s hand as he accompanied her in a sharp navy blue suit.

During the event, Dockery, renowned for her portrayal of Lady Mary Crawley in the Downton Abbey series since 2010, was observed gently resting a hand on her abdomen while smiling for photographers.

Dockery and Waller-Bridge — who is the sibling of actress, writer, and director Phoebe Waller-Bridge – commenced their relationship in 2019, subsequently declaring their engagement in January 2022.

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"An engagement has been declared between Jasper, son of Michael Waller-Bridge from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, and Teresa Waller-Bridge from Battersea, London, and Michelle, the younger daughter of Michael and Lorraine Dockery of Gidea Park, Essex," stated an announcement published in The Times of London previously.

The pair exchanged vows in September 2023. Images captured outside a West London church from that period depicted Dockery in a white satin gown, carrying a floral bouquet, while Jasper donned a navy suit adorned with a pink lapel flower. The newlyweds were enveloped in a shower of confetti as their loved ones celebrated their union.

Numerous castmates from Dockery’s Downton Abbey days were present at the wedding celebration, as reported by The Independent.

Dockery and Jasper’s marriage followed her previous engagement to PR executive John Dineen, who passed away at age 34 in 2015 after confronting a rare cancer. The British actress, through her representative, conveyed gratitude to the public for their “support and kindness” in a statement issued then.

The statement further expressed that, “[The family] respectfully [asks] for privacy during their period of mourning.”

Speaking to The Guardian in 2017, Dockery subsequently revealed she perceived herself as a “widow.”

“Our engagement, and our connection at heart, led me to consider myself a widow. … It’s the initial instance I’ve voiced this, and it brings a measure of relief to articulate it," she confessed.

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Dockery furthermore pondered her return to her profession following Dineen’s passing.

“For me, it’s simply crucial to allocate sufficient time for rest. After John’s death, I felt an overwhelming sense of, what should my next step be?” she conveyed to the publication. “What direction is my life taking? Consequently, employment became the logical progression. I simply needed to engage in work. Immersing myself in the subsequent role was my sole recourse.”

She added, “A recent comment to me was that a newborn is perceived as entirely new until about six years old. Yet, after just a couple of years, society often deems a death no longer fresh. It’s akin to losing a limb, wouldn’t you agree? It remains an intrinsic part of who you are, perpetually.”