She has been famously tight-lipped when it comes to her relationship, but Kate Winslet has given a rare insight about her beloved husband.

The Oscar winning actress, 47, tied the knot with Richard Branson’s nephew, Edward Abel Smith twelve years ago.

In 2011 the pair had  only met a few days earlier when, Kate and her children – Mia, now 23, were staying on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands when a storm struck.

The house they were staying in caught fire when it was hit by lightning and whilst they all made it out, it was ‘Ned’ Rocknroll that helped them escape, with the British star then realising he was ‘the one’.

Kate told The Telegraph: ‘It was very clear to me that this was the person I was supposed to follow through life. And I still feel exactly that way now.’ 

Kate Winslet has given a rare insight about her beloved husband Edward Abel Smith

The Oscar winning actress, 47, tied the knot with Richard Branson ‘s nephew, Edward Abel Smith twelve years ago 

 Kate and her children were saved by Edward after lightning sparked a blaze in the home they were staying in on his uncle Richard Brandson’s Necker Island

The couple who have a son Bear, 10, even called his middle name Blaze in a nod to that night. 

Kate had her daughter Mia with first husband Jim Threapleton and has Joe, 20, with director Sam Mendes. 

She added: ‘[Ned] looks after everybody. He’s wonderful. We literally do life together, we really do. He’s always jumped from project to project, and when I met him he was setting up a music festival.’

Kate also confessed that she did not know Ned’s surname was Rocknroll (he has now changed it back to Abel Smith).

She said: ‘When someone told me, I thought, that’s brilliant, because the funny thing is, he’s not remotely rock and roll. He’s Mr Vegan Yoga. He’s just the life and soul. Ned and I, we are real-life optimists. When you live with someone who wakes up, opens the curtains, and says, ‘Hello, the world!’ you just think, yes, I am going to sign up for life.’ 

Kate is currently in the midst of promoting her latest film, Lee.

The highly anticipated biopic sees Kate portraying the remarkable model-turned-WWII-photographer Lee Miller, a role that promises to showcase the English actress’s exceptional talent and versatility.

The biopic delves into the extraordinary life of Lee Miller, a trailblazing figure who transitioned from a glamorous model to a fearless WWII photographer.

Lee’s story is one of courage, resilience, and transformation, themes that resonate deeply in today’s world.

Edward helped save Kate and her daughter Mia, now 23, and son Joe, 20, in the fire (Kate pictured with Mia in May) 

The family escaped with only their passports, helped by Ned so in a tribute to how they met, their son Bear’s middle name is Blaze  (pictured in 2014) 

The actress plays model-turned-WWII-photographer Lee Miller in a new biopic, adapted from 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose

Kate’s portrayal of Lee Miller is anticipated to be a powerful and moving depiction, capturing the essence of a woman who defied conventions and made her mark in history.

The news follows reports the star went above and beyond to make sure she could finish her new film Lee, including paying crew salaries herself.

Kate and producer Kate Solomon opened up about the film to Vogue (the outlet the real Miller photographed for during the war), where it was revealed that Winslet – who hit the red carpet for Vogue World last week – not only paid for crew salaries but even fought through injuries. 

The first day on set, Kate was rehearsing a sequence where Lee was running down the streets of the French city Saint-Malo while it was under bombardment in 1944, when she slipped and injured her back.

‘I had three massive hematomas on my spine, huge. I could barely stand up,’ Kate revealed, with the actress somehow still sticking to the gruelling schedule while working through the pain.

As for the actress paying crew salaries, it was revealed that the film’s financing was ‘precarious,’ and at one point during pre-production, she, ‘personally covered two weeks of wages to keep things going.’