Who is Tom Stoppard's wife Sabrina Guinness? Inside the playwright's marriage at the time of his death at 88

Tom Stoppard, the Oscar-winning wordsmith behind Shakespeare in Love, has passed away at 88, leaving behind a long-lasting legacy — and his wife, Sabrina Guinness, a member of the illustrious Guinness family, famed for banking, brewing, and politics.

Born on January 9, 1955, in the United Kingdom, Sabrina Guinness is the eldest among five children of James Edward Alexander Rundell Guinness CBE, a World War II Royal Navy veteran and a distinguished banker; and Pauline Vivien, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Howard Vivien Mander MC.

During her youth, she was dubbed the "It Girl" of her generation due to her publicized romantic flings.

Sabrina Guinness was in a high-profile relationship with then Prince Charles, who is now the King of the United Kingdom. She was also involved with a string of eligible men, such as Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, and Rod Stewart.

Outside of her "It Girl" reputation, the British socialite once worked as a personal aide to David Stirling, the founder of Special Air Service (SAS).

Sabrina Guinness then became a TV producer, whose notable works include Mississippi Burning (1988), Pass the Mic (2000), and Comes a Bright Day (2012).

In 1995, she founded the Youth Cable Television (YCTV), a London-based charity, with the help of media executive Gregory Dyke. The charity aims to train disadvantaged youth in television production.

Sabrina Guinness's husband — celebrated playwright Tom Stoppard — dies at 88

Sabrina Guinness married the renowned Czech and English playwright Tom Stoppard in 2014 in a private ceremony in Wimborne, Dorset, and only invited 40 guests, comprising family and friends. They lived in Blandford after tying the knot, while she also had a house in Nothing Hill, West London.

On November 29, 2025, the Oscar-winning screenwriter passed away at age 88, surrounded by his family in his home in Dorset. The news was confirmed by the United Agents in a heartfelt statement shortly after his death.

"He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him."

Few details are widely available about the marriage of Sabrina Guinness and Tom Stoppard, other than his occasional mentions of the British heiress in his interviews.

In his 2016 interview with The Standard, it was noted that the couple began their romance in 2012. Tom Stoppard said of Sabrina Guinness at the time:

"I was quite happy with the way things were, having got to a certain age with two wives already; I didn’t feel that I needed to get married again. But Sabrina had never been married and I thought that wasn’t really fair; her sisters were all married."

According to Hello!, the two had known each other for two decades before becoming romantically involved with each other.

Tom Stoppard and Sabrina Guinness never had children, although the playwright had kids from his previous marriages: Ed, Oliver, Barnaby, and Will.

Also Read: How many kids did Tom Stoppard have? Family explored as veteran playwright dies at 88

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