Michelle Dockery's Fiance John Dineen Dies Ahead of 'Downton Abbey' Lady Mary Finale

Just before British fans of Downton Abbey got to say goodbye to the long-running period show, Michelle Dockery, who plays star mean girl Lady Mary Crawley, faces tragedy. Dockery's fiancé, 34-year-old John Dineem, recently died after battling a rare form of cancer.

According to The Mirror, the Irish PR director passed away earlier this month at the Marymount Hospital in Cork just days before Dockery's birthday last December 15, so it was a sad Christmas on all accounts for the multiple Emmy nominee.

It's been an emotional few weeks for Dockery, as not only she had to face this terrible personal ordeal, but she's also saying goodbye to the show that turned her into a star.

Dineem and Dockery were first linked together in 2013, as they began dating after being introduced by a mutual friend; while the two had remained very private about their relationship, there was speculation since early in 2015 that the two were engaged to be married.

While neither of them ever confirmed the rumors (after Dockery was spotted wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring), it was said that the actress was planning her "dream wedding" when illness struck Dineen in a yet-unnamed disease, which is thought to be a rare form of cancer.

Days after Dineen's death, Dockery spoke at Dineen's funeral in Ireland to bid her love farewell, in a ceremony that took place at St. James' Catholic Church in Waterfall, County Cork.

"[John] was my friend, my king, my hero, my everything. We celebrate him, we honor him and we will miss him," Dockery told the congregation, People magazine reports, then quietly singing Dineen's favorite song, "The Folks Who Live on the Hill."

According to CBC, Dockery recently released a statement through her publicist thanking her fans for their support during these difficult times, adding that she and her family would "kindly request that they are left to grieve in private."