Written by creator Julian Fellowes, the eight new episodes will cover a period of 18 months between 1920 and 1921.

Julian Fellowes hinted last month that he only intends for the the ITV1 costume drama to run for three series.

Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Penelope Wilton, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Findlay Brown, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Rob James-Collier, Siobhan Finneran, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Allen Leech and Amy Nuttall will all return for Series 3.

Series 2, which concludes this Sunday, has averaged of 11.5 million viewers for the first six episodes, making it the most popular drama series on UK television for over a decade.

ITV’s Director of Drama Commissioning Laura Mackie commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing Downton Abbey back for a third series, as we follow the inhabitants of Downton as they move into the roaring 20’s. It’s rare to find a drama that the audience connects with so strongly and we’re extremely proud to have commissioned a series that has become such a phenomenon.”

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