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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).<\/i><\/p>\n
Being a member of the British royal family can be a \u201cliving hell,\u201d where isolation and betrayal lurk behind palace walls.<\/p>\n
The claim was made by royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube series \u201cKinsey Schofield Unfiltered,\u201d who weighed in after actress Sophie Winkleman \u2014 known as Lady Frederick Windsor \u2014 described royal life as \u201ctotal hell,\u201d shattering the illusion of a fairy-tale existence. Still, she believes the Prince and Princess of Wales \u2014 Prince William and Kate Middleton \u2014 have a different approach to royal life thanks to their family life and dedication to duty.<\/p>\n
KATE MIDDLETON, \u2018POWER BEHIND THE THRONE,\u2019 SUPPORTED KING CHARLES IN STRIPPING PRINCE ANDREW\u2019S TITLES: EXPERT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt is a living hell to be a member of the royal family,\u201d Schofield told Fox News Digital. \u201cThe public has higher expectations of you. You are held to a higher moral standard. Other people have a say in who you marry. You are expected to look beautiful and always behave yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, reality TV flunky Narinder Kaur made headlines after criticizing the appearance of Catherine, Princess of Wales,\u201d said Schofield. \u201cShe said the princess was aging poorly \u2014 and this is after we all knew Catherine had cancer<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Winkleman, a British actress who married into the royal family, told The Times of London<\/a> that the lifestyle isn\u2019t picture-perfect despite the pomp and pageantry.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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,\u201d the 45-year-old told the outlet.<\/p>\n WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON MAKES KEY DECISIONS FOR ROYALS AS FUTURE QUEEN: EXPERT<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNone of them went on [the U.K. reality music competition]\u00a0\u2018Pop Idol\u2019\u00a0or something to be famous,\u201d she said. \u201cTo have that sort of blinding spotlight in your face from when you\u2019re born, not knowing quite whom you can trust, not knowing if someone\u2019s going to betray you, people writing lies about you the whole time, is just brutal.\u201d<\/p>\n Schofield agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine surviving the fight of your life, only for commentary to focus on your physical appearance,\u201d she said, referring to Kate\u2019s cancer battle in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cYour babies are immediately in the public eye,\u201d she said. \u201cYou struggle in school to make friends because you don\u2019t know who sincerely wants to be your friend and who is using you. Worse, sometimes your friends get desperate for cash and sell stories about you to the tabloids. You must keep your opinions to yourself \u2014 which is such a rare characteristic today. Your schedule is created six months to a year in advance, and you\u2019re taught not to deviate from it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsolation is certainly a problem,\u201d Schofield continued. \u201cThat\u2019s why the late queen<\/a> loved surrounding herself with her cousins and old friends. The queen knew she could trust her family members \u2014 and that they understood her unique circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n Winkleman married Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael of Kent \u2014 the late queen\u2019s first cousin \u2014 in 2009. According to the outlet, Winkleman \u201cwillingly\u201d left the entire wedding preparation to her mother-in-law, Princess Michael of Kent, including the picking of her wedding dress. The matriarch is \u201csometimes unkindly\u201d nicknamed \u201cPrincess Pushy,\u201d the outlet reported.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know anyone at my wedding,\u201d Winkleman recalled. \u201cI had my best pals there, but basically it was full of faces I\u2019d never seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI feel for them all,\u201d she added about her in-laws. \u201cI don\u2019t think a life with that much scrutiny and pressure is remotely healthy \u2014 but they have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that being a working member of the royal family \u2014 where your destiny is pre-planned \u2014 isn\u2019t for the faint of heart.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is you\u2019re living in a fishbowl that leaks,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou are living a life of power, money and position, with some family members believing they have total control to live however they wish \u2014 and behave without impunity. So I really do feel sorry for the royal family. [But] if this was such a hellhole existence, why not follow the example of Harry and Meghan and leave? Would they be missed? To me, they love the life.\u201d<\/p>\n Winkleman told the outlet that many of her in-laws use their positions for good \u2014 even as they remain frequent targets of negative press coverage. There are specific family members who have been essential in highlighting key causes.<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe senior royals work really hard with thousands of charities in Britain and around the world \u2014 behind the scenes as well as front-facing,\u201d Winkleman said. \u201cThere\u2019s no getting away from the fact they add huge prestige and heft to whatever cause they\u2019re supporting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe King\u2019s Trust is the greatest engineer for social mobility in Britain,\u201d she continued. \u201cPrincess Anne does nearly 500 engagements per year. The Duchess of Edinburgh<\/a> has just come back from Sudan, meeting surgeons who operate on violently raped toddlers \u2014 that is traumatic, serious work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI truly think my communist grandfather would be convinced by my arguments in favor of the royal family,\u201d Winkleman added.<\/p>\n Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that specific members of the royal family have worked tirelessly to support their country.<\/p>\n \u201cThe importance of monarchy goes far beyond the trappings of power,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can make a difference, as King Charles has with his Trust. It helps the unemployed and disadvantaged.\u201d<\/p>\n Anne, the late queen\u2019s only daughter, has been president of Save the Children U.K. since 1970. It aims to support the needs of children worldwide. She is involved with over 300 charities, organizations and military regiments in the U.K. and overseas. Known as the \u201chardest-working royal,\u201d the 75-year-old devotes a large part of her life to engagements and visits, with zero plans to slow down.<\/p>\n Kate, married to the heir of the British throne<\/a>, has committed to raising awareness about children\u2019s mental health and emotional well-being. Her goal is to bring attention to issues impacting children, including abuse, poverty and neglect. The 43-year-old mother of three aims to highlight how mental health can impact children well into adulthood, along with their families. She is also an advocate of sports, the great outdoors and the arts to enrich people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n Prince William\u2019s goal, as he prepares to be king, is to preserve the environment. In 2020, he launched The Earthshot Prize, described by the royal family\u2019s website<\/a> as \u201ca global environmental prize and platform to discover, award, celebrate and scale groundbreaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet every year until 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n Previously, in 2014, he founded United for Wildlife to help ensure that traffickers couldn\u2019t \u201ctransport, finance or profit from illegal wildlife products.\u201d In 2023, he founded Homewards, a program that aims to tackle homelessness. The 43-year-old also supports his wife in having public discussions on mental health, opening up about his own personal experiences in ways that make him a relatable royal.<\/p>\n Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is a patron of over 70 charities. The wife of Prince Edward visits hundreds of schools, hospitals, military bases and community groups every year to highlight their ongoing projects. Her key causes include supporting people with disabilities, young people in need of additional care, championing the blind, as well as agriculture and gender equality.<\/p>\n The Times reported that last year, Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston \u2014 Lord Frederick Windsor\u2019s sister \u2014 died by suicide. The loss inspired Winkleman to work with James\u2019 Place, a charity that helps men experiencing suicidal thoughts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Schofield said that two key members of the monarchy, in particular, are continuing to breathe new life into the ancient institution \u2014 and shaping its future.<\/p>\n