Who was Sophie Kinsella married to? All about her husband and kids as 'Shopaholic' novelist passes away at 55

Sophie Kinsella, 55, died on December 10, 2025. The news arrives a year after the author revealed her glioblastoma diagnosis in a website statement.

Also known as Madeleine Sophie Wickham, Kinsella wrote that she found out about the health problem around three years ago. However, she refused to share it early as she wanted to ensure that her five children, born after exchanging vows with Henry Wickham, could process it easily in privacy.

The heartbreaking update on Madeleine’s demise was disclosed by her family on Instagram. They added a photo, where Kinsella was posing with a smile on her face. The tribute reads that Sophie spent her final days with all those who were close to her, along with other things like music.

The family addressed how Sophie Kinsella’s death would change their lives now, as they wrote in the Instagram post:

“Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed - to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received.”

Madeleine’s books were popular in multiple countries, with millions of copies being sold over the years. The biography on her official website says that a few of her works were included among the bestsellers in the US and UK. What Does It Feel Like? was her last work to be published, which even addressed her cancer battle.

Sophie Kinsella and Henry Wickham were married for a long time: Relationship and other details explained

As mentioned earlier, the Wandsworth, London native was married to Henry Wickham. Although the duo has never addressed a lot of details about their love story, they first met at Oxford University, as per Glamour magazine.

Wickham’s LinkedIn profile says that he worked as a business manager for Sophie Kinsella for more than 10 years. His career started at the Lockers Park School, where he was the headmaster. Henry later became the owner and principal of the Elmhurst School for Boys.

After their marriage, Sophie and Henry had five children together. This included a daughter named Sybella. Her eldest child was Freddy, followed by sons Hugo, Oscar, and Rex, as stated by Distractify.

Around two months after Sybella was born, Sophie Kinsella told the Irish Independent that she always wanted a big family, and she never hesitated to become pregnant for another time. Sophie’s response specifically addressed the age gap between her kids, as she continued:

“It’s been more of a case of realizing that our first two, who are close in age, were growing up really quickly and so there was a bit of, ‘Are we done with being parents? No, we’re not’ involved.”

During her conversation with Glamour magazine in 2021, Sophie described her husband as a “teammate,” saying that he helps her in parenting and her writing at the same time. Kinsella revealed that she and Henry discuss the book ideas once the children go to sleep, and that Wickham is someone who can understand her sense of humor.

According to Sophie Kinsella’s official website, her first book, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, brought her into the limelight. She even gained recognition for Finding Audrey for its use of themes such as social anxiety. Madeleine was additionally appreciated for other books like Twenties Girl, Wedding Night, Love Your Life, The Burnout, Remember Me?, and more.