Who does Helena Bonham Carter play in The Crown, is she related to the royals and why did she split from Tim Burton?

HELENA Bonham Carter fans are getting their latest fix of the actress as she takes on the role of Princess Margaret in The Crown series three.

But did you know the talented British actress not only has royal connections on screen, but off screen as well? Here’s everything you need to know about the star…

Is Helena Bonham Carter related to the Royal Family?

It turns out, the rumours are true – she is!

The Princess Margaret actress shares a great-great-great grandfather with Kate Middleton, according to , which makes her a very distant cousin of the future King of England, Prince George.

Helena also once asked Prince William to be the godfather of her daughter – however, he politely declined.

During an interview with the , she revealed: “The Duke and I met before, along with the Duchess, before they were married, when I was staying on Mustique. I got very drunk at one point and I was determined to ask him to be a godfather to my daughter. He quite wisely said no.

“I admire him. He has got the same grace as both his parents.”

What is Helena Bonham Carter’s role in The Crown season 3?

Helena plays Princess Margaret in series three of The Crown on Netflix.

The character was previously played by Vanessa Kirby but now requires an older actress to play out the princess’ latter royal years.

Rumours first surfaced that Helena was set to take on the part when Vanessa posted a selfie with her in January 2018.

The new series will be set in the 70s and will see the breakdown of Princess Margaret’s marriage to Lord Snowdon.

When was Helena Bonham Carter married to Tim Burton?

Helena was in a relationship with husband director Tim Burton for 13 years before they decided to split in December 2014.

During that time, the couple welcomed two children and worked on more than six films together.

At the time of their split, the famously private pair did not go into detail as to what happened, however, Helena did later open up about their divorce during an interview with .

She said: “I could write a thesis on what’s happened,” the Suffragette actress says in a new interview.

“[I]t is all-absorbing when a relationship breaks down, but I think we’re coming through it, and I think we’ll have something very precious still. Our relationship was always somewhat special, and I think it’ll always remain special.

“We did find each other. And really, the mark of a successful relationship shouldn’t be whether you’re there forever after. Sometimes you’re not meant to be forever together. Sometimes you have to come to terms with the fact that that was it. But that was a gift, a massive gift. We gave each other children and a lot more else.”

Helena met Tim back in 2001 when he cast her in the remake of Planet of the Apes.

Who is Helena Bonham Carter dating now?

Helena is currently dating Rye Dag Holmboe – a Norwegian writer 21 years her junior.

It’s believed the couple first met in the summer of 2018 at a wedding and started dating a couple of months after.

Fast-forward one year, the pair made their first red carpet appearance together in October 2019.

Opening up about her new relationship to about her new romance after splitting from husband Tim, she said: “You break up, you grieve, you get bored of grieving, and then you finally move on.

“I’m very happy with someone else. It’s been a bit of unexpected magic in my life.”

The couple are now proud parents to their fur baby Pablo the Tibetan terrier.

Did Helena Bonham Carter have an affair with Emma Thompson’s husband Kenneth Branagh?

Helena Bonham Carter had an affair with fellow cast member Kenneth Branagh in 1994 when they were working together on the set of the film Frankenstein in 1994.

Love Actually actress Emma Thompson and Kenneth divorced the following year but continued to have a public relationship until 1999.

Speaking at a fundraising event for #MeToo in February 2018, Emma explained that she channelled her own experience of emotional pain into her acting when filming Love Actually.

She said: “That scene where my character is standing by the bed crying is so well known because it’s something everyone’s been through.

“I had my heart very badly broken by Ken. So I knew what it was like to find the necklace that wasn’t meant for me.

“Well it wasn’t exactly that, but we’ve all been through it.”

But despite this, Emma holds no grudges and previously referred to the incident as “blood under the bridge” before going on to describe Helena as a “wonderful woman”.

What are Helena Bonham Carter’s biggest films?

Helena has starred in a wide range of roles including many films directed by her ex-partner Tim Burton.

These include Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd (2007),  and the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

She also appeared in the Harry Potter films as the villain Bellatrix Lestrange.

In 2018 she starred in the comedy heist movie Oceans 8 alongside an all-female cast including Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.

How did Helena Bonham Carter become famous?

Helena Bonham Carter, 53, is an English actress from Islington, London.

She has no formal training but launched her career when she won a writing contest in 1979 and used the money to get into the Spotlight directory for actors.

Her first lead role was as the title character in the 1986 film Lady Jane and she also played Lucy Honeychurch in A Room With a View.

She usually appeared in lower budget independent films as opposed to big Hollywood blockbusters.