The Real Easter Egg is coming to Highclere Castle, better known as the home of the Crawley family in the hit TV show Downton Abbey.

The chocolate eggs, which come complete with an educational booklet explaining the Christian significance of Easter, are being used in the Highclere Castle Easter egg hunt on April 21. 

Over 1,500 children are expected to join the hunt for the full-sized chocolate eggs that will be hidden around the magnificent estate. 

Proceeds from the day will go to the Murray Parish Trust, which supports children's emergency services across the south of England by raising money and awareness to support projects at key trauma centres, pioneering research and the provision of life-saving equipment.

David Marshall, from the Meaningful Chocolate Company, which makes the eggs, said: "We are delighted to supply the eggs for this world famous place.

"It's a great opportunity to promote Fairtrade, there is a copy of the Easter story inside each box and a competition to win £200 worth of book vouchers."

The Real Easter Eggs were launched by the Meaningful Chocolate Company in 2010 in response to the plethora of chocolate eggs on sale in supermarkets that made no mention of Jesus or the Christian aspect of Easter. 

The eggs are sold in Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons and Waitrose.

In addition to being Fairtrade, this year mark's the first time that the Real Easter Eggs are going plastic-free to help minimise their impact on the environment.  That means the eggs will be sold without the usual plastic casings, stickers and seals. 

For mor details on how to take part in the Highclere Castle Easter Egg Hunt, visit https://highclerecastleshop.co.uk/categories/easter-egg-hunt