This Royal Relative Calls the Senior Royals’ Lives “Total Hell” and "Just Brutal"

Sophie Winkleman’s husband may be the King’s second cousin, but the actress-turned-royal-relative keeps the spotlight at arm’s length. While Winkleman lives a fairly normal life, working as an actress, parenting two daughters, and living in London, she gets a taste of royalty through family events, such as Royal Ascot and Trooping the Colour. In an interview with The Times, Winkleman describes the senior royal’s lives as “total hell” and “just brutal.”

“The more I get to know the royal family, the more I get that their lives are total hell,” Lady Frederick Windsor–Sophie Winkleman's formal royal styling–said in the interview. “To have that sort of blinding spotlight in your face from when you’re born, not knowing quite whom you can trust, not knowing if someone’s going to betray you, people writing lies about you the whole time, is just brutal.”

While Winkleman has fallen victim to internet criticism of her own, she knows it isn’t even close to the amount of online commentary the senior royals might face. “I don’t think a life with that much scrutiny and pressure is remotely healthy, but they have no choice,” she said.

Sophie’s solution to protect her own mental health from the discourse is to avoid social media altogether. She has to set an example for her daughters, who are tempted by social media as teens, saying “I have to walk the walk [of showing life’s possible without social media].” Other royals have followed suit, with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, previously stepping away from social media to protect her mental health, and other royals steering clear of the apps.

“That level of unasked-for fame is a form of torture,” Sophie Winklman said of the royal spotlight. “None of them went on Pop Idol or something to be famous.” While Winkleman chose acting as her career, the senior members of the royal family were simply born into their roles. “I feel for them all,” she said.