‘Downton Abbey’ season 3 Christmas special spoilers: More details on a new arrival

In just a few days, the “Downton Abbey” Christmas special is going to be upon us, and we are in for quite a treat when it comes to just what we witness over the course of the two hours. Will there be some emotion, and even some tear-jerking moments? Yes, but there will also be some delights as we witness many of our characters taking a trip up to Scotland for a late summer retreat … including the arrival of a character that we have often heard about but before before seen until now.

This character we are talking about is none other than Robert’s own cousin “Shrimpy,” who resides in what is known on the show as Duneagle Castle. We saw his daughter Rose play an important role during the season finale as she immersed herself in the big-city party scene, and now we get an even deeper taste of that world.

While the man responsible for playing this character in Peter Egan is keeping most of the finer details of his part rather close to the vest at the moment, he did say (per the Daily Telegraph) that he has long had a deep admiration for Maggie Smith and was very pleased to see her on the show:

“She’s been a heroine of mine since I was a drama student … I saw her and [her then husband] Robert Stephens together in Much Ado About Nothing at the National. It was magical, so this is a great thrill.”

There’s no word yet on if we will see Egan’s character for any span of time longer than the Christmas special, but even if we do not, this should make for a lovely one-time visit for fans looking for a little something different from “Downton Abbey” this December 25.

If you want to read more about the special courtesy of Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Patmore), you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: ITV