Who is Clodagh McKenna's husband Harry Herbert? Age, career and connection to the Queen revealed

22 September 2022, 17:30

Clodagh McKenna and is married to the Queen's godson Harry Herbert
Clodagh McKenna and is married to the Queen's godson Harry Herbert. Picture: Getty/ Instagram - Clodagh McKenna/Harry Herbert
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

Clodagh McKenna married the Queen's godson, the Honourable Harry Herbert, in 2021.

Clodagh McKenna, 47, and her husband Harry Herbert, 63, recently made their This Morning debut together as they came together to remember Queen Elizabeth II following her death.

The Irish chef, who presents cooking segments on the hit ITV show, has been public with her relationship with Harry for years now, however, his connection to the Royal Family has gone unnoticed by many people.

Clodagh and Harry, the Queen's godson, met in 2017, tied the knot last August and now live on the Highclere Castle Estate, famous as the filming location of Downton Abbey.

From how they met, to their wedding to Harry's children and ex-wife, here's everything you need to know:

Clodagh McKenna and Harry Herbert appear on This Morning to talk about attending the Queen's funeral
Clodagh McKenna and Harry Herbert appear on This Morning to talk about attending the Queen's funeral. Picture: ITV

Who is Clodagh McKenna's husband Harry Herbert?

Clodagh McKenna is married to the Honourable Harry Herbert, a horse racing pro who has close connections to the Royal Family.

Harry is 63-years-old and has three children who he shares with his ex-wife Francesca; William, 22, Chloe, 28, and Frankie, 26.

Clodagh McKenna and Harry Herbert attend Royal Ascot together in 2022
Clodagh McKenna and Harry Herbert attend Royal Ascot together in 2022. Picture: Getty

Who is Harry Herbert's dad and was he in The Crown?

Harry's connections to the Royal Family come from his late father, Lord Pochester the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, who was the Queen's racing horse manager.

Her Majesty and Lord Pochester, known to the Queen as Porchey, were close friends for years and bonded over their love of horses and racing.

Porchey was even portrayed in Netflix's The Crown in a storyline that saw Prince Philip become jealous of his close friendship with the Queen.

Harry Herbert's father, Lord Porchester, with the Queen and Prince Philip in 1969
Harry Herbert's father, Lord Porchester, with the Queen and Prince Philip in 1969. Picture: Getty

How did Clodagh McKenna and Harry Herbert meet and when did they get married?

Clodagh and Harry met at a lunch event hosted by Fortnum and Mason in London in 2017.

In October 2020, Harry proposed to Clodagh and in August 2021 the pair wed.

Clodagh and Harry got married at Highclere Castle, the filming location of Downton Abbey, and honeymooned in Ibiza.

The couple now live on the grounds of Highclere Castle in a cottage called Broadspear House.

What has Harry Herbert said about the Queen?

Clodagh and Harry both attended the Queen's funeral on Monday, September 19, as well as the Committal Service at St George's Chapel and appeared on This Morning the following day to discuss Her Majesty's legacy.

Harry said that the day was very "sad" and that it was a moment of "reflection" before adding that the funeral service was "beautiful".

He said on the show: "My dad was her best friend for many, many years and so me and my siblings were lucky enough to grow up knowing the Queen from a very young age."

Harry added: "We were surrounded by every part of her; her character, her humour."

Clodagh McKenna pays tribute to the Queen as she and husband Harry Herbert discuss her funeral

Relaying a special anecdote, Harry told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: "Naming a race horse is very important, and suddenly a name jumps out of the paper, and Heritage seemed a wonderful name.

"I looked it up and found out that was one the Queen's reserved names. I gave my dad a call to see if he could work his magic and I said 'could you ask the Queen if I could use the name Heritage?' and he said 'absolutely not, you do your own dirty work!'

"So, I wrote to her and she wrote back saying 'of course you can have the name Heritage, and I hope he's very lucky for you'."

He went on to add that two years later, the Queen invited him to stay at Windsor for Royal Ascot, where Heritage the horse won.

The Queen told Harry that it was tradition to toast the winner that was staying at Windsor, adding that the last time that had happened was with his father.

Clodagh McKenna and husband Harry Herbert pose for a selfie together
Clodagh McKenna and husband Harry Herbert pose for a selfie together. Picture: Instagram/Clodagh McKenna

Speaking about her relationship with the Queen, Clodagh said: "Growing up in Ireland, I didn't grow up with Her Majesty as my Queen, and so I got to know her in with my mind and my ears through stories from my sister-in-law and Harry."

She said that when she finally met the Queen, she wasn't prepared and that her sister-in-law had to quickly teach her how to curtsey.

Clodagh said that she knows how "lucky" she is to have met the Queen in such a "lovely and warm" environment with just "four or five" of them for dinner and "having drinks in front of the fire".

Read More:

Trending Live Playlists on Global Player: The official Heart app!