Santa Montefiore Love Story

The best-selling author with a passion for sweeping family sagas shares the story of home life with her writer husband and their inspiring children

- Emily Horan

Best-selling author Santa Montefiore and her historian husband Simon Sebag Montefiore are a literary power couple, but when it comes to putting pen to paper, the well-connected society favorites have one simple rule.

“We write in separate offices and we keep ourselves to ourselves. We can go all day without seeing each other,” Santa tells HELLO!.

“But we do discuss plots with each other as two minds are better than one,” she is quick to add of her husband, whom she married in 1998 – the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were both guests at their wedding. “He inspires me and it’s fun having someone to share ideas with.”

With two hugely successful writers under one roof – Simon’s historical biographies and novels regularly take up residence in the bestseller lists – you could be forgiven for thinking things could get a little competitive in the family home they share with their children, daughter Lily, 18, and son Sasha, 16, but she insists that is not the case.

“What we write about is so different. We’re a team – what’s good for one is good

‘My fingers and toes are crossed that the books will see the screen. It would be such fun to see my characters come alive’ for the other,” says Santa.