As Lady Frederick Windsor is set for a new role, a look at Meghan Markle and other royals' acting careers

Sophie Winkleman, the wife of Lord Frederick Windsor (and half sister to television presenter Claudia Winkleman) has reportedly landed a key role in the second series of the period drama, Belgravia. Sophie is of course not the first actress to also be a part of the royal family.

When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, she was of course widely known for her role in the hit U.S TV series Suits, but has not continued acting since. In an interview with Variety magazine, she was asked if she would ever consider going back to acting. Meghan responded by saying this “No I’m done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.”

Meghan and Sophie are not the only actresses who have married into the royal family. One iconic example is of course Hollywood actress Grace Kelly who became a Princess when she married Prince Rainier in April 1956.

At the time of their marriage, Grace Kelly was very much known as Hollywood royalty as she had starred in such memorable films as Dial M for Murder, High Society and To Catch a Thief. She had also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Country Girl.

When Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco, she was only 26 years old, but she decided to retire from acting and instead focused her life on royal duties, bringing up her three children and charity work. In 2021, The Independent revealed in an article that, “According to new documentary, Grace Kelly: The Missing Millions, Kelly had to pay $2 million (approx £1.5 million) to the House of Grimaldi to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco, which caused her to lose her entire acting fortune.”

An article in The Insider revealed that “According to the documentary, everyone around Kelly-except the actress herself-financially benefited from the Grace Kelly effect. MGM made millions of dollars from Kelly’s films, and even Monaco relied on the princess’ allure to attract millionaires to the tax-free haven.”