Her sister, The Traitors icon Claudia Winkleman, is television royalty, but Sophie Winkleman is actual royalty. Her husband, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, is second cousin to the King and 54th in the line of succession.

When Sophie married Frederick Windsor in 2009, the actress officially became Lady Frederick Windsor, and she’s had a front-row seat to the inner circle of the Royal Family ever since.

But, despite what many might assume is a charmed life, Sophie has likened their daily lives to “a form of torture” and that having that level of fame can be “total hell”.

Speaking to The Times, Lady Frederick shared, “The more I get to know the royal family, the more I get that their lives are total hell and that level of unasked-for fame is a form of torture.

“None of them went on Pop Idol or something to be famous. 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.”

She continued, “I feel for them all. I don’t think a life with that much scrutiny and pressure is remotely healthy, but they have no choice.”

Sophie, who has starred in the likes of Peep Show and Two and a Half Men, has previously opened up about her closeness with members of the Royal Family.

In a past interview with HELLO! , Sophie recalled how her husband’s family came together to take care of her after a horrific car accident, which left her recovering for months. She told the publication, “[King] Charles sensed correctly that everything would be chaos at home, so he asked his cook, instead of taking care of him, to take care of us.

“So, our lunches and dinners were cooked at Clarence House then delivered for weeks on end while I was in hospital and then still disabled at home. I heard from pretty much every member of Freddie’s family, I was spoiled to bits by them.”

Sophie has since enjoyed many milestones with the family, regularly joining them at the likes of the Royal Ascot or Kate Middleton’s annual Together for Christmas carol service.

Despite being a royal since 2009, Sophie has continued to pursue a career in acting – and she’s not the only one, following the news of Meghan Markle’s planned return to the screen.

The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly shooting scenes for a movie starring Lily Collins in November.

Between 2019 and 2023, Sophie starred in the Sanditon series, based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel. She has also starred alongside the likes of Timothee Chalamet and Hugh Grant in 2023’s Wonka, and she will star in the upcoming BBC series, Wild Cherry.