This Royal Admits She Took Etiquette Lessons From a 'Downton Abbey' Advisor
"I've asked him questions every single day, from how do you pick up that stem, how do you lay your knife and fork in between eating, everything."
When it comes to the Royal Family, there's an assumption that perfect etiquette comes naturally—but in the case of one lesser-known royal (who also happens to be an actress), it turns out she had a bit of extra help from none other than Downton Abbey's historical advisor, Alastair Bruce.
Sophie Winkleman, who is married to King Charles's second cousin Lord Frederick Windsor (the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent) is proving that even blue-blooded actresses need a crash course in proper fork placement. The 44-year-old, who stars as the Duchess of Rochester in Julian Fellowes's latest masterpiece, Belgravia: The Next Chapter, opened up about how she prepped for her new role to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden in his Eden Confidential column.
Despite her real-life royal connections, Winkleman wasn't too posh to ask for help perfecting her aristocratic manners. The Peep Show star revealed that she relied on Bruce, who serves as Belgravia's historical guru, for an etiquette crash course.
"Alastair has been my mainstay for this whole series—he's been magnificent," she told Eden. "I've asked him questions every single day, from how do you pick up that stem, how do you lay your knife and fork in between eating, everything."
Winkleman, who shares daughters Maude and Isabella with her royal husband added, "I find it's such a joy and luxury to have someone like that on set every day."
Winkleman is seen enjoying the races with Princess Beatrice and The King during Royal Ascot 2024.
Winkleman attended Princess Kate's 2024 carol concert with her husband, Lord Frederick Windsor, and their daughters Maude and Isabella.
The show debuts on Feb. 23 on MGM+ and is set 25 years after the first Belgravia series, which aired for one season in 2020.
Per Hello!, Winkleman said that the new show, set in 1871, is "not as domestic" due to its later time period. But even though she's had access to some of the grandest palaces when attending royal events, the actress—who got married at Hampton Court Palace in 2009—shared her excitement at filming at grand estates.
She said "with some of the stately homes, you feel very privileged because you're going to places that you usually can only visit with a ticket. When you're filming you get to wander in and feel a part of the building for a bit."
Speaking of grand buildings, Sophie and her family took in the sights of Westminster Abbey last month when they joined Princess Kate, Prince William and other members of the Royal Family for the Princess of Wales's annual Together at Christmas concert. She also revealed a previously unknown detail of the event, telling Hello! she was looking forward to "Beautiful music and beautiful readings. And hors d'oeuvres."
