New Downton Abbey Pics: Lady Mary Struggles To Bond With Her Baby

Series four is almost upon us, and we've got a sneak peek at what's in store for our favourite TV characters. Find out what life is going to be like post-Matthew in these emotional new season shots

Downton Abbey series four is just over a week away now, and we've got a first glimpse at what's in store for the cast, and most importantly – Lady Mary.

The young mum was left quite literally holding the baby when in the final episode of series three Matthew Crawley was knocked down by a car, shortly after the birth of his son. The first episodes from the next instalment deal with the aftermath of Matthew's death and how Lady Mary copes with being a widow. Grab the tissues…

In a series of pictures shared by ITV today ahead of the series four launch next Sunday, 22 September, Lady Mary can be seen mourning Matthew and struggling to bond with her newborn son. Wearing all black and looking deeply sad as she reads a book in the Downton Abbey dining room, we can see just how much Matthew's passing is going to shatter her world.

The new pictures also show Lady Mary bonding with Anna Bates, and doting on her son while the nanny holds him. And Michelle Dockery, who plays the famous character, has revealed just how difficult these scenes were to film.

She told the Radio Times: 'In the beginning he just reminds her of Matthew every time she looks at him.' Blub.

Michelle also admitted this week that she had to try to refrain from bonding with the baby, in between scenes, something she found extremely hard.

She said: 'At times I’d really want to cuddle them but because she’s Mary, because she’s quite practical, I think that’s the sort of mother that she’d be…

'I had to resist that really, because Mary’s not maybe as kind or affectionate as I would be with a baby.'

'We don’t work as much with the children as you'd think – and as I would have hoped, because they are just gorgeous – the twins, the little boys, and also Sybie, the little girl who plays Sybil’s daughter. But of course they, Branson and Mary, wouldn’t have spent as much time as you would normally with their child because of the position that they are in.'

We predict a tearjerker for the first episode. Clear your diary...

Watch the Downton Abbey series 4 trailer

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