'Downton Abbey' cast invades British Embassy

SPOTTED: Several members of the cast of first lady Michelle Obama's favorite show, "Downton Abbey," at the British Embassy on Thursday night.

Actors Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham), Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Grantham), Jim Carter (Mr. Carson), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Rob James-Collier (Thomas), and Sophie McShera (Daisy) mingled with guests and participated in a Q&A about the upcoming season -- sorry fans, no spoilers to share.

British Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott was host of the evening and he was joined by several of D.C.'s bold-faced names, including PBS' Rebecca Eaton, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Chief of Protocol of the United States Capricia Marshall, CBS' Bob Schieffer, PBS' Gwen Iffil, NBC's Betsy Fischer and husband Jonathan Martin of Politico, Washington Post's Dan Balz, NBC's Chuck Todd, and NBC's Andrea Mitchell and husband Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve.

The new season of "Downton Abbey" begins on PBS on Jan. 6.

Photos by Tony Powell, courtesy of the British Embassy