Freddy Knatchbull joined the cast of Made in Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and quickly stood out from the rest of the SW3 crowd, and not just because of his looks. While most reality TV stars claim to be well-connected, Freddy Knatchbull actually is.
He is the great-grandson of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, one of the most significant figures in 20th-century British history. Tatler put him on their radar early and called him the king of SW3.
This is the full story of who Freddy Knatchbull is, where he comes from, and why his family name carries the weight it does.
Who Is Freddy Knatchbull?
Freddy Knatchbull was born on June 6, 2003, at the Portland Hospital in London. His full name is Frederick Michael Hubert Knatchbull. He is the son of The Hon. Philip Knatchbull, CEO of Curzon Cinemas, and his second wife Wendy Amanda Leach.
He has a younger brother, John, and two older half-sisters. Daisy Knatchbull, from his father’s first marriage to Atalanta Cowan, is a fashion designer and founder of The Deck, the women’s tailoring brand that became the first of its kind to hold a Savile Row address. His other half-sister, Phoebe, works in public relations at Freuds.
Freddy Knatchbull attended Radley College, the all-boys boarding school in Oxfordshire. He was accepted at Newcastle University to study Politics but left after a few terms. He had been scouted by Select Model Management while walking down Oxford Street, and the opportunity proved more compelling than completing his degree. In his own words, he told The Times he was not going to use a sociology degree and just wanted to grab the opportunity.
He acknowledged his background candidly. He told the Daily Mail it would be naive not to accept that his family name gave him an initial advantage in modelling, but that it cuts both ways, and that people might judge him before getting to know him.
The Mountbatten Connection
The name Knatchbull alone does not explain why Freddy Knatchbull generates the level of interest he does. The Mountbatten connection does.
His great-grandfather was Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, born in 1900. Lord Mountbatten served as a naval officer, commanded British forces against Japan in Southeast Asia during the Second World War, and served as the last Viceroy of India before independence in 1947. He was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and uncle to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
His relationship with the royal family was close and personal. King Charles III, who knew him from childhood, referred to Lord Mountbatten as Uncle Dickie. Lord Mountbatten acted as a mentor to the young Charles and the two were said to be genuinely close, with Lord Mountbatten holidaying with the royal family regularly.
Adding to that connection, Freddy’s grandmother Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, was the last surviving godmother of King Charles III at the time of her death in 2017.
Freddy Knatchbull has spoken about growing up with this history around him. He told Tatler that from what he was told growing up, Lord Mountbatten had the most amazing life, and that the family feels very connected to his legacy.
He described his great-grandfather as a great man. He also told OK! Magazine that when he talks to his friends about Lord Mountbatten, nobody knows who he is, but when he talks to his parents’ friends, they know everything about him.
The Assassination of Lord Mountbatten
Lord Mountbatten was assassinated on August 27, 1979. The IRA planted a bomb aboard his boat, Shadow V, while it was moored at Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland, where he spent his summers at Classiebawn Castle.
The explosion killed Lord Mountbatten along with three others, including his 14-year-old grandson Nicholas Knatchbull. Nicholas was the brother of Philip Knatchbull, Freddy’s father. The family has lived with that loss across generations.
Lord Mountbatten has been depicted across all four seasons of Netflix’s The Crown. Greg Wise portrayed him in Seasons 1 and 2. Charles Dance took over the role in Seasons 3 and 4. Freddy Knatchbull has said publicly he has not watched the series despite knowing members of his family appear in it.
The Family Tree in Full
Freddy Knatchbull’s place in the Mountbatten family tree runs as follows. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, had a daughter, Patricia Knatchbull, who became the 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
Patricia married John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, and together they had several children, including Philip Knatchbull, Freddy’s father.
The current Earl Mountbatten is Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Freddy’s uncle. He is married to Penelope Knatchbull, who was a close confidante of Prince Philip.
The family home is Broadlands in Hampshire. Freddy Knatchbull and King Charles III are fourth cousins once removed.
His Love Life
Before Made in Chelsea, Freddy Knatchbull dated Delphi Primrose, the daughter of Lord Dalmeny, chairman of Sotheby’s. The two were featured together in Tatler’s most eligible list in 2022. The relationship ended before he joined the cast.
On the show itself, Freddy Knatchbull has had storylines involving several cast members, most notably a prolonged dynamic with Jazz Saunders that ran through multiple series. He has also dated Beks Collins during his time on the programme.
The Corsica Incident
During filming of the Made in Chelsea Corsica series, Freddy Knatchbull was reportedly locked inside a 4×4 by a group of men.
The Sun on Sunday reported that five men described as intimidating locked the car doors with Freddy inside, and that cast members were unable to reach him for a period of time.
A source told the paper the cast were very worried. The incident ended without serious harm. The motive was not established or made public, and Freddy Knatchbull has not spoken publicly about what happened.
The Army Reserves
In 2025, Freddy Knatchbull signed up to the Army Reserves, a decision Tatler reported he made without informing his parents beforehand.
The move sits alongside his modelling career, his time on Made in Chelsea, and his continuing connection to a family with a long military history.
His great-grandfather Lord Mountbatten held the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, the highest rank in the Royal Navy.
Made in Chelsea and Modelling
Freddy Knatchbull joined Made in Chelsea in Series 25 through his friendship with fellow model Joel Mignott. He was taken under the wing of Miles Nazaire and David Templer during his early episodes on the show.
Alongside Made in Chelsea, Freddy Knatchbull is signed to Select Model London. He stands at 6ft 1in and has expressed interest in acting, having come close to landing a Netflix role before the show came along.
Outside of work, he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and holidays in the Bahamas each year with his extended family, according to Tatler. He currently lives in Chelsea.
