Although royals often marry other royals, some princes and princesses have found love with commoners. There’s Prince William and Kate Middleton, of course, who famously met in school. And more recently, Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip tied the knot with Sofia Hellqvist, a former model and reality-TV star. Over the years, royals have fallen for all sorts of people, including a journalist, a Hollywood actress, an Olympic athlete, and a gym owner. With a look at royal couples past and present, see some of the well-known commoners who became royalty through marriage.
1 Grace Kelly
Iconic Hollywood actress Grace Kelly became the Princess of Monaco when she and Prince Rainier III tied the knot in April 1956. The couple met on a photo shoot she almost skipped, and their wedding was a media frenzy. Together, they had three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie. Grace’s life ended tragically when she was in a car accident on Sept. 14, 1982.
2 Queen Letizia of Spain
Back in 2002, when Queen Letizia first met King Felipe of Spain, she was a journalist on assignment, covering an oil spill while the then-prince met with those affected. Two years later, on May 22, 2004, the couple got married, and they now have two daughters: Princess Leonor and Princess Sofía.
3 Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge
Prince William met Kate Middleton at school when the pair attended St. Andrews University in Scotland. They dated on and off for years, but their sweet road to romance eventually led to a lavish royal wedding on April 29, 2011. Since then, they’ve had two kids together, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who recently won over the world with their adorable portraits.
4 Princess Charlene of Monaco
Former South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock met Prince Albert II of Monaco (Grace Kelly’s son) when she was there for a swimming competition in 2000. They first stepped out as a couple at the 2006 Winter Olympics, and they got married in a stunning royal wedding in July 2011. Three years later, in December 2014, Princess Charlene gave birth to twins, Jacques and Gabriella, who recently had a picture-perfect baptism.
5 Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark
Tatiana Blatnik, a former event planner for Diane von Furstenberg, married Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark on Aug. 25, 2010, becoming Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark. They first met through a mutual friend during a ski trip in 2003.
6 Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
Argentine-born Queen Maxima of the Netherlands studied economics and worked for Deutsche Bank in New York before she met her husband, King Willem-Alexander, at a party in Seville. They got married in February 2002, and years later, in 2013, he became the country’s first king in 123 years when his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated the throne. The royal couple has three daughters: Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.
7 Sofia Hellqvist
Sofia Hellqvist, a former model and reality TV star, reportedly started dating Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in 2009, although their relationship wasn’t confirmed until 2010. The pair announced their engagement in Summer 2014, and they got married in a stunning wedding in June 2015.
8 Prince Daniel of Sweden
Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, married Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in June 2010. Before then, Daniel Westling was a country boy, and he met the princess at one of the gyms he owned. The Swedish royals welcomed their adorable daughter, Princess Estelle, in February 2012.
9 Queen Rania of Jordan
Before Queen Rania of Jordan married King Abdullah II, she worked at Apple. The couple tied the knot in March 1999, and since then, they’ve welcomed four children together. Earlier this month, the modern queen took to Instagram to share a sweet message for their anniversary, writing, “22 years on and my heart still skips a beat… So blessed to be at your side. Happy anniversary, Your Majesty
#Wedding #Anniversary #Love.”
