Katherine Mirren: Facts About Helen Mirren’s Sister

Katherine Mirren is the sister of British actress, producer, and director Dame Helen Mirren. Katherine’s sister Helen is widely known for her work in film, television, and on stage. Known for her versatility, Helen has played different roles in films including The Madness of King George (1994), Gosford Park (2001), The Last Station (2009), The Long Good Friday (1980), and many more.

Katherine Mirren: Bio Summary

Who Is Helen Mirren’s Sister, Katherine Mirren?

Katherine “Kate” Mirren was welcomed into the world in the year 1942. She will be turning 81 years old after celebrating her birthday in 2023. She is the oldest child of Vasily Petrovich Mironoff aka Basil Mirren (1913–1980) and Kathleen “Kitty” Alexandrina Eva Matilda (née Rogers; 1908–1996). Her parents were married in Hammersmith in the year 1938.

Katherine Mirren has a younger sister and a younger brother. Her younger sister Helen Lydia Mironoff, popularly known as Helen Mirren or Dame Helen Mirren was born on 26 July 1945. Helen is an actress. Katherine’s younger brother is Peter Basil Mirren (1947–2002). Her mother Kitty was a working-class woman from West Ham.

Kitty was the thirteenth of fourteen children born to a butcher whose own father was the butcher to Queen Victoria. Katherine’s father, Vasily Petrovich Mironoff who anglicized his first name from Vasily to Basil and changed the family name to Mirren by deed poll, was a member of an exiled family of the Russian nobility.

Basil was taken to England by his father when he was two years old. Katherine’s paternal grandfather Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov who was part of the Russian aristocracy, owned a family estate near Gzhatsk (now Gagarin). Pyotr was a colonel in the Imperial Russian Army and fought in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War.

Katherine’s paternal grandfather became a diplomat and was negotiating an arms deal in Britain when he and his family were stranded by the Russian Revolution in 1917. He also worked as a cab driver after settling in England. Katherine’s father Basil Mirren played the viola with the London Philharmonic Orchestra before World War II.

ALSO, READ: Kathleen Alexandrina Eva Matilda Rogers: How Did Helen Mirren’s Mother Die?

Basil worked as an ambulance driver during the war, served in the East End of London during the Blitz, was a cab driver, worked as a driving test examiner, and was a civil servant with the Ministry of Transport. Katherine’s educational background and qualifications are unknown, which is why it is unknown if she dropped out of school at some point or not.

Katherine Mirren is a teacher in a school in the United Kingdom, according to a source. There isn’t much information about her career. She is an independent woman who earns money on her own. She has stayed away from the spotlight despite being the sister of actress Helen Mirren who was appointed a Dame (DBE) for services to drama.

Katherine Mirren is the mother of British television writer and producer Simon Mirren. As a writer, he is known for his work in the films G:MT Greenwich Mean Time and Beef Wellington. He has served as a writer in television series including Casualty, Waking the Dead, Without a Trace, Third Watch, Criminal Minds, and Versailles.

Katherine’s son Simon Mirren was the producer of 24 episodes of Without a Trace. He was a supervising producer of 22 episodes of Third Watch. He worked as an executive producer, co-executive producer, and supervising producer for Criminal Minds. He was also an executive producer of Versailles. He directed 3 episodes of Criminal Minds.

Katherine Mirren is a grandmother thanks to her son Simon Mirren. Simon has two sons, Cameron and Felix, and a daughter, Natasha Fitzgerald. Cameron, Felix, and Natasha are Katherine’s grandchildren. Meanwhile, Katherine’s famous sister Dame Helen Mirren has no children although she is married to film director Taylor Hackford who has children.

ALSO, READ: Peter Basil Mirren: Where Is Helen Mirren’s Brother Now?

Despite being a stepmom, Helen Mirren has made it clear that she has “no maternal instinct whatsoever”. When asked whether she ever thought of having children, she said “No,” adding, “I was always too engaged in my life as an actress. … At that time, I couldn’t comprehend that you could incorporate a child into that without letting a child down in some way.”

“It was never an absolute conscious decision, it was just, ‘Oh, maybe next year, maybe next year, until really there was no next year.” However, Helen Mirren doesn’t regret not having any children. “I kept thinking it would be, waiting for it to happen but it never did, and I didn’t care what people thought. I have never had a moment of regret about not having children,” she shared.

ALSO, READ: Basil Mirren: What Happened To The Father Of Helen Mirren?

Helen Mirren’s sister Katherine Mirren has lived her life away from the spotlight. Much is unknown about Katherine’s life due to her private nature. Her current whereabouts are unknown. She hasn’t appeared at public events or gatherings. She has also not involved herself in any controversies.