King Charles's 'lifesaving' gesture to Claudia Winkleman's sister as 'very dear friend' in her hour of need

King Charles’s thoughtful gesture to Claudia Winkleman’s sister in her hour of need still means a lot to her to this day.

King Charles might not immediately appear to have lots of similarities with TV host Claudia Winkleman, but the two have a relative in common. Claudia’s half-sister Sophie is officially Lady Frederick Windsor and is married to the son of Prince Michael of Kent - a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth. As she’s not a working royal, actor Sophie isn’t frequently seen in public alongside King Charles. However, she’s described him as a “dear friend” and King Charles’s thoughtful gesture to her at a challenging time in her life is something that she will always remember. 

Speaking to Tatler as their February cover star, Sophie reflected on the aftermath of a car accident she experienced as she was driven home in 2017. The actor spent three months recovering in hospital and King Charles supported her in such a considerate way.

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The publication describes Sophie as being “touched” by King Charles’s thoughtful gesture after she broke her foot and three bones in her back. His Majesty’s cook at Clarence House supplied her family with meals at this time. This happened twice a day for months and Sophie described this act of kindness “lifesaving” at this time.

“It was lifesaving, having this massive thing twice daily that I didn’t have to worry about,” she declared gratefully.

Although King Charles’s gesture happened years ago now, it’s clear how much it continues to mean to her to this day. Since then so much has changed for the Royal Family and with a focus on working senior members in recent years, Sophie and the Kents haven’t been glimpsed on the Buckingham Palace balcony for quite some time.

However, Claudia Winkleman’s sister did attend Royal Ascot last year and was pictured laughing and chatting animatedly with both King Charles and Queen Camilla. Sophie described His Majesty to Tatler as a “very dear friend” of hers and expressed her admiration for his strong work ethic.

She explained, “I spend a bit of time with him. You see how he works all day long, has a quick supper and then disappears until about 4am to write letters. He cares about so many things and he comes up with brilliant solutions.”

Sophie, who stars as the aristocratic Duchess of Rochester in ITV’s recently-aired drama, Belgravia: The Next Chapter, also shared her love for other members of the immediate Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales.

She described herself as being “really good friends with all of them” and shared that they’re “really fun, clever, kind people”.

“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,” Sophie said. “I love Catherine and William, but they’re so busy and don’t live in London, so I don’t see them much.”

As she's a non-working royal, it's not certain when Sophie Winkleman's next public appearance alongside the rest of the Royal Family might be. She was last seen with them as she and her husband Lord Frederick Windsor attended the Princess of Wales's carol concert in December.