Very Shocked: Lady Frederick Windsor makes surprising confession about taking etiquette lessons

Belgravia: The Next Chapter returns to ITV in February

Sophie Winkleman has proven that even royals can learn a thing or two about decorum.

The actress, who is married to Lord Frederick Windsor – son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, will soon be on-screen starring as the Duchess of Rochester in Julian Fellowes’s lavish period

Despite her ties to the British royal family, the 44-year-old revealed that she embraced etiquette lessons to perfect her performance, seeking advice from the ITV series’ historical advisor, Alastair Bruce.

Alastair has been my mainstay for this whole series – he’s been magnificent,” she told Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential.

“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.”

She added: “I find it’s such a joy and luxury to have someone like that on set every day.”

Sophie – who has a host of acting credits to her name, from playing Big Suze in Peep Show, to Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Death In Paradise and Waking the Dead – will take on the “pivotal” role of aristocrat Lady Rochester in the period drama, which is scheduled to be released on 23 February.

Commenting on Sophie’s potential involvement in the series, Julian – who also created Downton Abbey – previously said: “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.

The period drama, which first premiered in 2020, was initially intended to be a limited series, but its popularity has meant that it is coming back for round two. Belgravia: The Next Chapter will take place three decades after the events of season one in 1871.

The synopsis reads: “The eligible Lord Frederick Trenchard meets the bewitching Clara Dunn, and they fall deeply in love. A romantic courtship and proposal follow, and Clara is swept off her feet. But there are hidden depths to Frederick; he carries trauma from his childhood, following years of emotional neglect and resentment from his father, who favoured the younger son, James.

Clara is highly perceptive, quickly realising there is trauma at the heart of Frederick’s guarded manner. She grows convinced that by fixing Frederick’s relationship with his estranged brother she can also restore his happiness.

“In the midst of her plans she starts to develop an unlikely friendship with the charming Dr Ellerby and is drawn into his bohemian world. Excited by the passionate way they live, Clara begins to question her place in the world.”

The synopsis concludes: “Clara and Frederick must chart a course through the rumours which threaten them, and confront long-buried secrets as they search for lasting happiness.”

Speaking about the locations and sets, Sophie shared: “The clanging of the mercantile world has made its way into this series, so it’s not as domestic. There is an outside world where some of our characters are involved in business and trading.

“I don’t get to go down to the river – I am usually just indoors knitting – but 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. But at the same time, I love the confection of the studio and the fact that it’s all very pretend, but we try and make it come to life.”