Sophie Winkleman, who married Lord Frederick Windsor, has opened up about her close relationship with many key members of the Royal Family, including her “dear friend” King Charles.
Sophie – who is an actress set to take part in a new series from the creator of Downton Abbey – has shared plenty of insight about her marriage to Lord Frederick, the son of Queen Elizabeth's cousin Prince Michael of Kent to Tatler.
The actress, who has also starred in the likes of Two and a Half Men and Wonka, revealed that, when it comes to her husband’s royal relatives, she's “really good friends with all of them.”
“That’s a really daft thing to say, but behind the camera, they’re really fun, clever, kind people,” Sophie added.
But it’s the insight into her relationship with King Charles, and the behind-the-scenes efforts she sees His Majesty put into his work, that are particularly interesting.
Sophie shared that the King’s work ethic is unparalleled. Calling him “a very dear friend” and that she is fortunate enough to “spend a bit of time with him.”
She revealed, “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.”
Julian Payne, speaking to The Mirror, also confirmed the King's busy schedule in 2022.
“The King doesn’t eat lunch; so, an early lesson I learnt when out on the road with him was to have a big breakfast or bring a few snack bars with you to keep you going.”
He then added that the King's office schedule is just as packed, consisting of consecutive 45-minute sessions on his charity's next project, an upcoming tour or discussion about matters of state with his principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton.
“The working day is pretty relentless. Beginning with the radio news headlines and a breakfast of seasonal fruit salad and seeds with tea.”
While the King doesn’t eat lunch, he does take a break from his busy schedule each day for an odd but admirable cake habit with Queen Camilla.
In her interview, Lady Frederick also named Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, Princess Anne, Sarah Ferguson and Sarah Chatto among those to whom she is closest.
She added that while she does “love” Prince William and Kate Middleton, “they're so busy and don't live in London, so I don't see them much.”
However, she did attend Kate’s third annual Christmas concert this year.
Sophie’s close bonds with her husband’s royal relatives all but saved her life after a terrible car crash in 2017 left her with life-threatening injuries.
The then-Prince Charles lent her cook from Clarence House to prove her family with two meals a day for months, which Sophie says was “lifesaving, having this massive thing twice daily that I didn't have to worry about.”
At the same time, Prince William asked his air ambulance colleague to “take good care of her” and Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, visited her at the hospital.
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