Claudia Winkleman's sister is actually a royal and related to Kate Middleton

Claudia Winkleman's sister is a member of the Royal Family and related via marriage to Kate Middleton, though you might've never heard of her.

She's the celebrity on everyone’s minds right now, especially if you’ve been watching The Traitors season 2. From Claudia Winkleman's Traitors outfits (including some of the best winter coats we’ve seen) to her iconic hairstyle, Claudia has captured people’s imaginations as host. However, despite amassing fans across the world many people might not know about Claudia’s connection to the Princess of Wales.

The TV star and Kate both have a relative in common as Claudia’s paternal half-sister Sophie Winkleman is a member of the Royal Family and so related to Kate.

Actor Sophie married Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent at Hampton Court Palace in 2009 in a ceremony attended by Claudia. Sophie is now Lady Frederick Windsor and whilst she isn’t a working royal, Sophie does attend plenty of big royal occasions. Last year Sophie arrived at Royal Ascot in a carriage and was photographed talking animatedly with King Charles in the Royal Box.

She also joined the immediate Royal Family to attend the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas carol service in both 2022 and 2023 with Lord Frederick and paid her respects at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

Claudia Winkleman’s royal sister has even had the privilege of appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royals. Although in recent years Trooping the Colour balcony appearances have been restricted to working members of the Royal Family and their children, this wasn’t always the case.

Sophie Winkleman appeared on the balcony with her husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law in 2018 and in 2011 she stood next to Kate in a gorgeous navy ensemble and a statement white hat.

Many fans might not have connected her with Claudia all this time, even after discovering how to watch The Traitors UK and tuning into watch the popular presenter every week. Sophie herself has recently explained to Tatler in her interview as their February 2024 cover star that she and Claudia had “separate lives as kids”. She declared, “Claudia lived with her mum [Eve Pollard] and she’s nine years older than me”.

Get Claudia Winkleman's Traitors look

Going on to reflect upon her relationship with the Royal Family, Sophie described herself as being “really good friends with all of them”, adding that it might seem like a “daft thing to say”.

“[T]hat’s a really daft thing to say, but behind the camera they’re really fun, clever, kind people,” she shared. “I love Sophie Edinburgh, Sarah Chatto [Princess Margaret’s daughter], Zara, the York girls [Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice], Tim and Princess Anne, Fergie, all the Kents and Gloucesters. I love Catherine and William, but they’re so busy and don’t live in London, so I don’t see them much.”

She went on to dub King Charles a “very dear friend” and revealed that she spends “a bit of time with him” though he is so busy and “works all day long”. So whilst we might not see Sophie and the royals together in public all the time, it seems they do get on very well behind-the-scenes.

Claudia is also not often seen publicly with Sophie either and doesn’t attend royal occasions. Though it’s still intriguing to know that The Traitors' TV Queen Claudia and future Queen of the United Kingdom, Kate, have a relative in common.

The Traitors season 2 continues on BBC One on 25th and 26th January and episodes are available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.