Lily James and Matt Smith's relationship: How long have the Mamma Mia and Doctor Who stars been dating?

2 May 2019, 10:24 | Updated: 2 May 2019, 13:02

Lily James and Matt Smith are dating IRL. Picture: Getty

Lily James and Matt Smith are literally #CoupleGoals

Actress Lily James first became a household name when she starred in period drama, Downton Abbey, as the exuberant Lady Rose MacClare.

Exuding elegance, grace and beauty, James' departure from the TV series came as a big blow for fans.

After she quit the show, Lily starred in Disney's live action version of Cinderella, before starring in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, alongside Doctor Who's Matt Smith.

When the pair confirmed their relationship at the Milan premiere of Cinderella, then, fans were naturally elated. I mean, they are the ultimate power couple.

But how did they meet and when did they first get together? Here's a timeline of their relationship so far...

How did Matt Smith meet Lily James?

The stylish couple met on the set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies back in 2014.

Matt played Mr Collins opposite Lily, who portrayed Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet.

As the name of the film suggests, there's a creepy twist to the classic: it is a post-apocalyptic parody which incorporates horror and zombies, naturally.

Matt and Lily met on set of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies. Picture: Getty

When did Lily James and Matt Smith start dating?

While the official date they got together is under wraps, the pair were spotted getting close at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2014.

They attended the star-studded event with a group of friends, but they clearly had chemistry.

When they returned to London, they were spotted hanging out.

Lily James and Matt Smith attended the Burberry February 2018 Show — The stylish couple attended the Burberry February 2018 Show. Picture: Getty

Their relationship so far...

2014

They first met

Lily and Matt met on the set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which also starred Douglas Booth, Suki Waterhouse, Bella Heathcote and Sam Riley.

Cannes Film Festival

Promoting their new movie, the cast of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies attended the Cannes Film Festival together.

Day out in London

When they returned from Cannes, Lily and Matt were spotted enjoying a stroll in London together. They split up and walked in different directions when they noticed they'd been spotted.

2015

Matt and Lily made their debut as a couple

After months of relationship rumours, Lily and Matt made things offish when they attended the Milan premiere of Cinderella.

2018

Lily wants to move in with Matt Smith

Lily opened up about her relationship with Matt in an interview with Marie Claire, saying: "We want to get somewhere,'" she said.

"That's going like, 'Can we go furniture shopping?' We bought a rug...and I love getting flowers and making things look nice."

Wait. Did Lily just hint they were engaged?

During the Baftas, the Mamma Mia actress sparked engagement rumours when she wore a ring on THAT finger.

During an interview with Porter Edit, however, Lily later downplayed the situation, commenting: "I’m just not very superstitious about rings. It’s stupid, probably, but I just put rings on any finger. Also, that was a fuck-off ring. I mean, Jesus. That ring’s worth one million pounds."

Matt also suggests things are getting serious with Lily

When asked about his future with Lily, Matt responded: "Yeah, a lot of our friends are having kids. Two of my closest girlfriends just had babies and I adore them – it’s amazing to see what that brings to your life.

"You know, it becomes the most important thing, and that kind of shift is something I look forward to."

Can you imagine how beautiful their children would be?

2019

Lily sparks engagement rumours again

Having been together for eternity (in celeb terms, anyway), many fans are shipping Lily and James as endgame.

So when a gold ring was spotted on Lily's engagement finger in January, fans went into meltdown. The pair were snapped while enjoying a lowkey dinner.

All About Lily

Lily bagged herself the lead female part in the West End production of 'All About Eve'. Lending his support, boyfriend Matt Smith attended opening night at the Noël Coward Theatre.

Matt Smith dated model Daisy Lowe before meeting Lily James. Picture: Getty

Who else have they dated?

Lily previously dated actor Jack Fox, but they split shortly after the release of Cinderella.

Matt Smith was also in a relationship with model Daisy Lowe, whom he met at Coachella in 2011. They split after 18 months together, as it was reported work commitments made it hard to see one another.