Not just Megan: 10 modern Cinderellas who managed to marry the prince
'25.06.2020'
Source: Rbc style
These stories prove that in order to conquer the prince, it is not necessary to have an aristocratic origin and an impeccable biography, writes Rbc style.
Princes marry ordinary girls not only in fairy tales. As practice shows, in recent decades, you can marry the heir to the throne even with dark spots in the biography. To win the heart of the royal offspring, sometimes some little things are enough. For example, wash dishes or go on a blind date.
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Royal misalliances have long been no taboo for the Norwegian court. So, half a century ago, the current king Harald V. married a commoner. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, also fell in love with an ordinary girl. He met Mette Marit at a rock festival. By that time, the beautiful Norwegian from the family of a journalist and a bank employee already had a child. In addition, in her non-aristocratic biography, there were several spots. For example, in her youth, the girl used drugs, was not particularly diligent in her studies, and worked as a waitress. And she gave birth to her son Marius from a drug dealer. Nobody approved the candidacy of Mette-Marit for the role of crown princess, but Haakon was adamant. The king and queen had to surrender, and the Norwegians had to accept his choice. Spouses have been together for almost 20 years.
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Prince Laurent of Belgium
Unlike the Crown Princess of Norway, there were no dubious episodes in the biography of the wife of the Belgian prince Laurent. Claire Louise Coombs was born in the family of a British businessman, from childhood she was fond of painting, horse riding and scouting. And after graduation, she received a diploma in surveying and even managed to work in her specialty. According to one version, the girl met her future spouse visiting a mutual friend. The prince was washing dishes when Claire offered him help. After that incident, the 39-year-old bachelor fell head over heels in love with a modest and smart blonde, who very soon became his wife. Today, Claire and Laurent of Belgium bring up three children - the daughter of Louise and the twins Nicholas and Aymerika. This spring, despite the princess being infected with the coronavirus, they celebrated the 17th wedding anniversary.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Members of the British royal family were not allowed to marry commoners for a long time. For example, King Edward VIII had to abandon the throne in order to be with his beloved in 1936. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, also chose an ordinary girl. His relationship with Kate Middleton began during his studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It was there that the heir to the throne first saw his future wife: she appeared at a charity fashion show in a transparent dress. True, William was in no hurry to bind himself, which is why journalists even called Middleton “waiting for Cattie.” He said that he was too young for marriage. To understand how this girl is dear to him, the prince first had to lose her. Only ten years after they met Prince William made an offer to Kate.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Harry went the same way as his older brother. That's just his chosen one met the standards of the British royal family much less than Kate Middleton. Firstly, the American actress and fashion model Meghan Markle has already managed to be married. Secondly, she was three years older than the prince and professed Catholicism. But most of the British were indignant at the color of her skin. Despite this, Harry was not only allowed to marry Megan, but also retained his royal titles. According to the couple, they met on a blind date thanks to a mutual friend and hid the relationship from others for six months. Last spring, Archie was born to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and at the beginning of this year the couple refused to perform royal duties and began to live independently of the palace.
Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark
The Crown Prince of Denmark found his love on another continent. Frederick met with advertising manager and daughter of math professor Mary Donaldson in a Sydney pub during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Then the girl did not even suspect who her new friend Fred was. After the Olympics, the prince flew home, but did not forget about the charming brunette from the pub. The couple maintained a relationship at a distance of almost two years, after which Mary moved closer to the groom. First, she found work in Paris, then in Copenhagen. And in 2004, the young people played a magnificent wedding. For the sake of love, the girl renounced Australian and British citizenship, became a Lutheran, learned Danish and mastered royal etiquette.
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Carl Philip, Prince of Sweden
For a long time, Carl Philip was considered one of the most enviable single aristocrats. Everything changed in the summer of 2009 when he met a blue-eyed brunette in a nightclub in the spa town of Bostad. The prince's new girlfriend was the model and participant in the scandalous reality show Paradise Hotel. In her youth, Sofia Kristina Hellqvist worked as a waitress, advertised underwear and took part in a candid photo shoot for the Swedish men's magazine Slitz. And once the girl was shot kissing a pornstar Jenna Jameson. It is not surprising that members of the royal family were in no hurry to get acquainted with the chosen one of Carl Philip. Lovers announced their engagement five years after the start of a relationship. By that time, the prince’s family had come to terms with his choice and agreed to a marriage with Sofia.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Before the wedding, the actress's son Grace Kelly had a reputation as a don Juan. Albert II had novels with Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields and a dozen more beauties. In addition, he had two illegitimate children. This greatly confused the South African athlete Charlene Wittstock, whom the heir met at the competition in 2000. Knowing about his love of love, the girl did not respond to courtship for a long time, but after six years she gave up. On the eve of the wedding, the mother of one of the illegitimate children, Albert II, reported that their relationship was ongoing. The upset bride tried to escape from the country, but she was stopped at the airport. The prince eventually convinced Charlene of his innocence, but the girl cried for the whole wedding. Today they are raising two children.
Fumihito, Crown Prince Akisino
In the Japanese imperial family, misalliances are permissible only for heirs. Moreover, the august lover should be financially secure. With his marriage, Prince Fumihito violated two centuries-old traditions: he found a wife not from the aristocratic circle (she was brought up in the family of a professor of economics) and married earlier than her older brother. The young man met Kiko Kawashima in his first year at Gakushuin University and soon made her an offer. However, the couple had to wait three years before the imperial house agreed to the wedding. The daughter of Fumihito and Kiko also preferred love - Princess Mako is engaged to a fellow student. To connect life with him, she will have to lose her title and leave the imperial palace forever.
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Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein
The marriage of Prince Maximilian with fashion designer Angela Gisela Brown has long been one of the most discussed in the world. There are several explanations for this. First of all, for the first time in history, an African-American became the spouse of a representative of the ruling European royal family. In addition, she is 11 years older than her lover: at the time of the wedding, the prince was 32, and his beloved - 43. Moreover, once Angela met with a drug dealer who received a long criminal term. And to top it all, she professed Catholicism. Some members of the dynasty were shocked by the exotic choice of Maximilian. But to the delight of the young, the prince was supported by the ruling prince of Liechtenstein, who later attended his wedding - the conservatives had to come to terms.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan
Prince Rahim Aga Khan is the hereditary imam of the ancient Shiite family. His grandfather and father had novels with popular actresses and models. However, the young heir was lonely for a long time. Journalists even talked about his non-traditional sexual orientation. Rahim Aga Khan found his future wife thanks to Naomi Campbell - it was she who brought the 42-year-old prince to 24-year-old American Kendra Spears. The girl grew up in a small village, received a sociologist's diploma from Portland University, and by the time she met she was a sought-after model. She collaborated with Prada, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Diane von Fürstenberg, Givenchy.
For the sake of her husband, Kendra adopted Islam and a new name, becoming Princess Salva. Now she is raising two sons and continues to work in the modeling business.
