Although the venerable British actor had made comments about leaving "Downton Abbey," it appears Dame Maggie Smith will return for the sixth season.

Her representative refuted any idea that she will be leaving.

Smith's representative said that she will continue on the show despite of what she said to the Sunday Times over the weekend, according to the Wrap.

"[Smith] has always been on the record as saying she'll be with the show for as long as the show runs," her representative said, adding that she had been speaking jokingly.

She had hinted at leaving the show following the sixth season, which is currently in production. She joked that her character, the witty Dowager Countess of Grantham, must be getting a bit too old to continue on the show.

"They say this is the last one, and I can't see how it could go on," Smith said at the time. "I mean, [my character] certainly can't keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We're into the late 1920s."

Many fans became distraught at the thought of one of the most beloved characters leaving the show. However, it remains uncertain whether the show will have a seventh season as one has yet to be commissioned. Creator Julian Fellowes has also begun work on a new NBC series.

In spite of the rumors, the dowager will be meeting with royalty next week. People magazine reports that the Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting the set of "Downton Abbey." Not Highclere Castle, where all the outside shots and grand scenes are filmed, but she will go to Ealing Studios in West London, where the servant scenes are filmed.

The Duchess will visit on March 12 and meet some cast members and crew, from makeup artists to costume designers. She will also be in a reception with writers, some cast members, and producers. However, it is not known what cast members will be present.

Currently filming are Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern. She will also watch the filming of a scene.