British actress Sophie Winkleman (a.k.a. Lady Frederick Windsor) married Lord Frederick Windsor in 2009, bringing her into the royal family fold — so she has some insight on their lives in the public eye.

“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,” Sophie, 45, shared during an interview with the U.K.’s The Times published Wednesday, November 12. “None of them went on Pop Idol or something to be famous.”

She added, “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. I feel for them all.”

Sophie said she imagines living

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