When Sophie Winkleman met Lord Frederick Windsor on a night out in Soho, she was already famous for her role in comedy series Peep Show.
She was better known than Lord Frederick, in fact, who is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and a distant 53rd in line to the throne.
Romance followed and the two married in a lavish ceremony at Hampton Court Palace in September 2009.
Sophie had no intention of giving up her acting career upon joining the Royal Family, and the decision to stick with her career seems to have served them well.
Today, they celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary.
Sophie Winkleman and Lord Frederick Windsor were married in a lavish ceremony at Hampton Court Palace on September 12, 2009
Sophie met Lord Frederick on a night out in Soho back in 2007 when she was a working actress
Lord Frederick, meanwhile, has left his hard-partying reputation behind.
The bride arrived on her big day in a silver Rolls-Royce with her father, Barry Winkleman, who accompanied her into the Chapel Royal where her six bridesmaids were waiting.
The actress wore a stunning silk gown with a sweetheart neckline made from more than 80ft of silk duchesse satin and 36ft of silk taffeta and included a 10ft detachable train.
Her £5,000 dress, which featured hand-embellished sequins, beads and crystals, was made by Anna Bystrova from the Russian couture house Roza – a favourite designer of her mother-in-law, Princess Michael of Kent.
At the time, the grounds of Hampton Court Palace were lit with candle lanterns and the spectacular fountain at the entrance of the great hall was bathed in a warm apricot glow.
Around 400 guests attended the wedding, including Princess Eugenie, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, actress Jane Asher, Lady Helen Taylor and singer Bryan Adams. And of course, the bride’s half-sister, Claudia.
Lady Gabriella, wearing a pale lilac dress with chiffon sleeves, was asked to give a reading during the ceremony.
The groom’s parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, were dressed to impress for the occasion
Lady Gabriella, pictured wearing a pale lilac dress with chiffon sleeves, was asked to give a reading during the ceremony
Meanwhile, the groom’s parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were dressed to impress for the occasion, with Princess Michael wearing a low-cut navy gown, while her husband donned a three-piece suit.
‘Already she is like a daughter to us,’ Princess Michael of Kent said, speaking about her son’s bride following the wedding, according to Hello!.
‘We are enchanted with Sophie.’
It was reported that Sophie’s parents, Barry and his wife Cindy were said to have put aside £40,000 for their daughter’s big day, but sources close to the couple told the Mail that without ‘freebies and discounts’ it would have cost as much as £200,000.
The bride and groom did, however, turn down a ‘life-changing’ sum of money from a celebrity magazine wanting to cover the wedding.
The actress wore a stunning silk gown with a sweetheart neckline made from more than 80ft of silk duchesse satin
The grounds of Hampton Court Palace were lit with candle lanterns and the fountain at the entrance of the Great Hall was bathed in a warm apricot glow
Sophie and Frederick wanted a modest wedding with a ‘budget’ reception at Hampton Court’s Great Hall, but their decision disappointed some, including- reportedly – the groom’s mother.
The entire wedding day had allegedly been planned by the Princess over six months with Freddie, who works for the bank JP Morgan, and her team of staff at Kensington Palace.
But despite cost-cutting efforts by the Princess, which included sending her driver on several trips across the Channel to stock up on cheap champagne, the wedding budget ended up substantially over the Winkleman’s initial allowance.
