Lily James is "looking forward" to having children with Matt Smith

Speaking in an interview with NET-A-PORTER's digital magazine, PorterEdit, she said: "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."

Lily's comments come just weeks after the 34-year-old actor said babies were something that were on his mind "a lot" because he thinks he'd be a "good dad".

The former 'Doctor Who' star said that a lot of his good friends have recently become parents and it's sparked his interest in becoming a dad, too.

Speaking last month, Matt shared: "I am thinking about kids quite a lot. I'd like a lot of them. A lot of my friends are having children and, dare I say, I think I'd be quite a good dad."

However, when they do start a family together, Matt and Lily will no doubt step away from the public eye for a little while, because the brunette beauty previously admitted it can be "annoying" having to live out their love lives in the spotlight.

She said: "It's hard to go places and it can be annoying."

Despite the unwelcome attention, the couple are "very happy" with one another.

The former 'Downton Abbey' actress explained: "It's no secret - we're very happy."