Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie announce their engagement

Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie, who met playing on-screen lovers in the hit series, have announced they are engaged.

The pair published an announcement in The Times today amid growing speculation.

The notice read: "The engagement is announced between, Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire."

The couple, both 30, originally met on the show's set in Iceland in 2012. Mr Harington, who plays Jon Snow, has starred in all seven of the show's series whereas Miss Leslie, who played wildling Ygritte, left in 2014.

However, they did not make their relationship public until an appearance at the Olivier Awards last year. Earlier this year it was reported that the pair had moved into a new home together in East Anglia.

Their characters initially meet as enemies in the icy tundra north of The Wall in series two, when Jon Snow takes part in a Night's Watch raid on a wildling camp and takes Ygritte prisoner. They soon become lovers despite being on different sides of a war.

Game of Thrones stars out of character

In an interview with L'Uomo Vogue last May, Mr Harington said playing on-screen lovers had helped ignite his off-screen relationship with Miss Leslie.

When asked what his favourite period of filming Game of Thrones was, Mr Harington said: “The three weeks in Iceland when we were shooting the second season. Because the country is beautiful, because the Northern Lights are magical, and because it was there that I fell in love.

“If you’re already attracted to someone, and then they play your love interest in the show, it’s becomes very easy to fall in love."