Sophie Winkleman to Star in Belgravia Season 2

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Julian Fellowes's period drama Belgravia will be returning for a second season—and a member of the British royal family will be taking on one of the lead roles. Sophie Winkleman, husband of Lord Frederick Windsor, is set to play Lady Rochester in the upcoming season.

The first season of the period drama was an adaptation of Fellowes's novel of the same name, following the aftermath of a party on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.

Season two will be set 25 years after the events of season one, and be an entirely new story. Winkleman will star as aristocrat Lady Rochester, which the Daily Mail writes is "one of the pivotal roles in the story."

"I think we're very lucky. I have worked with Sophie before, on my version of the Titanic story, and I am a fan, but these choices are made by a group, led by our director, John Alexander," Fellowes told the Mail.

Winkleman married into the royal family in 2009, when she wed Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael of Kent. Prince Michael is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth. Winkleman was a professional actress before her marriage, and has continued working since; she appeared in the first season of Sanditon, as Lady Susan, Charlotte Heyward's friend. She is set to return for season three, which premieres next month.

While she is not a working royal, so does appear alongside the royal family on occasion, including at Queen Elizabeth's funeral last fall. And, after the premiere of Harry & Meghan on Netflix, she spoke out about the "brutal media attention, criticism, lies" that the royals face.

"I cherish my growing closeness to the senior members of the royal family who are so hardworking, uncomplaining and brave in the face of relentless and brutal media attention, criticism, lies, undermining and fictional TV programmes – and always so good to me that I’m honoured to know them," Winkelman wrote in the Spectator in December 2022.

No premiere date has been set for Belgravia season two; season one is currently streaming on MGM+.

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