If Meghan Markle is preparing for an acting comeback while back in the UK, there is one royal family member who knows a thing or two about navigating both worlds: Sophie Winkleman. The wife of Lord Frederick Windsor is an actress whose credits include Two and a Half Men, the period drama Sanditon, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, among others.
HELLO!'s royal contributor Tracy Schaverien describes Lady Frederick Windsor as "a perfect example of how a member of the royal family can maintain an acting career without causing any ripples."
"Like Harry and Meghan, Frederick and Sophie aren't working royals, and therefore have had to pursue their own careers," Tracy notes. "Sophie is probably best known for appearing in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show - in fact she and Frederick first got together because he recognised her when they first met in a taxi queue."
"Since then, she has appeared in films and TV series - most recently the BBC drama Wild Cherry. At the same time we see her pop up at royal weddings and gatherings alongside her husband, and she is a well-loved member of the family," Tracy adds.
© Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty ImagesWhile Sophie's husband is much further down the line of succession and isn't the son of the King, he is the son of Queen Elizabeth's first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent. Marrying into the royal family in 2009 didn't stop Sophie from continuing to act. Meghan, on the other hand, chose to stop.
Gyles Brandreth claimed in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait that the Queen told the Suits star during their first meeting: "You can carry on being an actress if you like – that's your profession, after all."
Meghan ended up saying goodbye to her role as Rachel Zane in Suits after getting engaged to Prince Harry in 2017. In their engagement interview, the Duchess spoke about changing her career, saying: "I don't see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change."
© Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images"It's a new chapter. Right. And also keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years. So we're very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series and for me, once we hit the 100 episode marker I thought, you know what, I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work I've done there and now it's time to, as you said work as a team with you [Harry]."
Years later, after stepping back from royal duties, Meghan was asked by Variety if she would "ever consider going back to acting. "No. I'm done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not," she said.
Now, it seems her intentions may have changed. After news broke that the Sussexes were returning to the UK for an extended stay, it was reported that the Duchess could be making a return to acting. She was reportedly in talks to join the cast of Netflix's The Gentlemen, which has been renewed for a third season. According to Deadline, the same day the Sussexes arrived in the UK, Manda Levin, Netflix's scripted chief in the UK, was asked whether the King's daughter-in-law will appear in The Gentlemen, to which she replied: "All bets are off."
HELLO! understands that as far as potential acting roles are concerned, nothing is yet set in stone. A source tells us there are "things that she is considering but nothing is firm yet. There are only conversations."
Leading public relations expert Mark Borkowski previously told HELLO! that he knows "at least three or four West End theatre producers who would have" Meghan "in a production tomorrow."
© Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
© Pool/Max Mumby/Getty ImagesWhile Lady Frederick Windsor has never been a senior working member of the royal family like Meghan briefly was, she is an example of someone who has managed to continue acting while still remaining part of the family and attending events with them, including the Princess of Wales' annual Christmas carol service, Royal Ascot, weddings and funerals.
"I'm much better when I work – I think most actors would say that. We don’t know what the hell to do with ourselves if we’re not working. But I hope I don’t ever go away for so long that it’s damaging [to her daughters]," Sophie once told HELLO!.
"After Two and a Half Men, I got some wonderful offers of work in America which I didn’t do because I couldn’t imagine just vanishing to another country for months. You have to make compromises in your career when you have a family. So I do jobs in Britain, where I see them every week.
The royal family, whom Sophie has praised as "warm and supportive," appear to support her career. She told The Times in 2020 that she'd been "incredibly welcomed with open arms by all" of the royals, describing Queen Elizabeth and now-King Charles as "wonderful," and Prince William as "Heaven."
"They'd never tell me off at all if I wanted to play some [racy] role," Sophie said. "Everyone's looked after me. Oh God, please don't make me sound too gushing."
