'Downton Abbey's Joanne Froggatt Told Kate Middleton a Dirty Joke During a Royal Visit

Joanne Froggatt's portrayal of long-suffering maid Anna Bates in Downton Abbey has earned her a Golden Globe and critical acclaim, as the show has turned into an international hit. In a recent interview with Conan O'Brien, the actress revealed a secret: when Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton visited the show's set last year, Froggatt was so nervous, she unwillingly made a dirty joke!

Froggatt appeared on Conan last Wednesday to talk about the last season of the show, and she dished about that time they were told the royal would be coming over for a visit.

According to Crushable, the actress revealed that the jitters got to her when speaking to Prince William's wife. After the Duchess had caught a glimpse of Froggatt and Michelle Dockery shooting a scene and commenting on how odd it felt to be in Lady Mary's room, Froggatt got unwillingly inappropriate.

"I said, 'Yeah, not many people get to come in Lady Mary's bedroom,'" said the actress, prompting laughter from talk show host O'Brien. "Oh my god. What have I just said? I've just totally said something that could be taken really the wrong way!"

Froggatt recounted she ended up choosing to ignore her potentially very inappropriate joke, and the royal was gracious enough not to comment on it at all.

In any case, Mr. Carson would have gotten a heart attack if something remotely similar happened on fictional Downton.

The Daily Mail reports that days before the Duchess even set foot on the show's set, there were police officers and "sniffer dogs" around to make sure everything was secure enough, which makes sense considering Middleton is a member of the royal family.

On the day the Duchess came on the set, there were people coming in every few moments to say how much time they had left until the then-pregnant royal came in -- and really, that kind of situation can be nerve-wrecking to anyone.