While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move to the United States caused a global stir, they were not actually the first royal couple to decide to build a life across the Atlantic. A few years earlier, Lord Frederick Windsor—son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and 52nd in line to the throne—and his wife, American actress Sophie Winkleman, had taken the plunge. They settled in Los Angeles shortly after their modest wedding in 2009, which took place in the Great Hall of Hampton Court – almost a decade before Harry and Meghan embarked on a similar journey.
Sophie, known to viewers for her role as Big Suzie in the British series Peep Show and Zoe in Two and a Half Men, returned to her acting career in Hollywood, while Lord Frederick worked as vice president and later as executive director at JPMorgan Chase. In 2015, the family returned to London, but the American chapter of their lives remains unforgettable – their first daughter, Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina, was born there in 2013. Their second daughter, Isabella Alexandra May, was born in London in 2016. Both girls later attended the same school as Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Sophie has repeatedly shared how positively she was received by the British royal family. She describes her meetings with high-ranking members of the monarchy—Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William—as “wonderful” and “heavenly.” She also receives full support for her acting career. Particularly touching are her memories of the period after a serious car accident in 2017, when members of the royal family—including Countess Sophie of Wessex—visited her, and the Cambridge family sent her flowers and other tokens of their affection.
Although they started their family life in the US, Sophie remains connected to the royal court. She has attended important events such as Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and her funeral. She was also a guest at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and in 2019 she even sang at the wedding of her sister-in-law, Lady Gabriella.
In conclusion, although the media focused on Harry and Meghan’s dramatic resignation from royal duties and their life in America, it was Lord Frederick and Sophie Winkleman who were the first to show that it is possible to build a life on both sides of the ocean. Their journey—balancing the aristocratic world, acting, and corporate careers—is an example of a successful combination of tradition and personal choice and proof that even outside of royal protocol, love and good relationships remain the most important things.
