A Different Kind Of Royal Match

Fairy tales often end with a prince marrying a princess, but real life is far more interesting. Across history, royals have repeatedly broken tradition to marry for love by choosing partners from outside the gilded cage of aristocracy. These unions challenged centuries of protocol and forced royal houses to adapt or risk scandal. To see who dared to break the mold and discover the consequences of their choices, read our list of royals who married commoners.

Frankie Fouagnthin on Wikimedia

1. Prince William And Kate Middleton

Prince William, second in line to the throne, married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011, a date declared a UK public holiday. They met as students at St Andrews, and her bouquet featured "sweet William," a flower which was named after her husband.

Presidential Office of Ukraine on Wikimedia

2. King Felipe And Letizia Ortiz

Before becoming Spain's queen, Letizia Ortiz was a well-known journalist and news anchor from a middle-class family. She married King Felipe VI on May 22, 2004, also making history as the first divorced queen consort in Spain.

Diego Sinova / Comunidad de Madrid on Wikimedia

3. Prince Harry And Meghan Markle

Famous for her role in Suits, American actress Meghan Markle made waves by marrying Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. Making her the first American to marry a senior British royal in decades, their wedding broke tradition with a gospel choir.

Mark Jones on Wikimedia

4. King Carl Gustaf And Silvia Sommerlath

It was a fateful meeting at the 1972 Munich Olympics for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. He met interpreter Silvia while she was working as a hostess, and the couple tied the knot four years later in 1976.

US Embassy Sweden on Wikimedia

5. King Edward VIII And Wallis Simpson

Now this is a story. King Edward VIII famously abdicated the British throne for American divorcée Wallis. Their marriage on June 3, 1937, caused a constitutional crisis, and they spent their lives in exile as Duke and Duchess.

Unknown - from Bettman collection on Wikimedia

6. Princess Victoria And Daniel Westling

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden found love in an unexpected place: the gym. She married her personal trainer and gym owner, Daniel Westling, on June 19, 2010. He became Prince Daniel in a wedding watched by millions of Swedes.

Holger Motzkau on Wikimedia

7. Carl Philip And Sofia Hellqvist's

From reality TV star and model to royalty, Sofia Hellqvist's journey is quite the story. Becoming Princess Sofia after marrying Prince Carl Philip of Sweden on June 13, 2015, she now focuses on various charitable children's causes.

Bengt Nyman on Wikimedia

8. Willem-Alexander And Máxima Zorreguieta

When Argentine economist Máxima Cerruti married the future King Willem-Alexander in 2002, it wasn't without drama. She became the Netherlands' first non-European-born queen consort. Controversy over her father's political past meant he couldn't attend the wedding. 

Henk Monster on Wikimedia

9. Prince Rainier III And Grace Kelly

Hollywood royalty met actual royalty here. On April 19, 1956, actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco. It was dubbed the "Wedding of the Century," and she retired from the silver screen to fully embrace her new duties as a princess.

Robert LeRoy Knudsen on Wikimedia

10. King Harald V And Sonja Haraldsen

King Harald V's romance with commoner Sonja faced years of resistance, as many demanded he marry a royal bride. After a nine-year courtship, his father finally consented. King Harald and Sonja finally wed in 1968, making Sonja Norway's first queen consort in 50 years.

UKOM (foto: Nebojša Tejić/STA) on Wikimedia

11. King Hussein And Lisa Halaby

American-born architect Lisa Halaby became the fourth wife of King Hussein of Jordan on June 15, 1978. Upon marriage, she took the name Queen Noor and dedicated her life to humanitarian causes, ultimately becoming a prominent global peace advocate.

Helene C. Stikkel - First uploader was Wikifreund at de.wikipedia on Wikimedia

12. Prince Haakon And Mette-Marit

A former waitress and single mother, Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby's past stirred controversy when she married Norway's Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. She has since earned respect for her dedicated humanitarian work, particularly focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness.

NTNU Trondheim on Wikimedia

13. Princess Ayako And Kei Moriya

Choosing love over royalty, Japan's Princess Ayako married commoner Kei Moriya on October 29, 2018. He was an employee at a shipping company. This decision triggered a strict Imperial law that required her to immediately renounce her royal title.

Kounosu1 on Wikimedia

14. Princess Märtha Louise And Durek Verrett

Norway's Princess Märtha Louise sparked controversy with her engagement to American spiritual healer Durek Verrett in 2022. While she has since officially stepped back from her royal duties, she has retained her title of princess.

Richter Frank-Jurgen on Wikimedia

15. Prince Joachim And Alexandra Manley

On November 18, 1995, a sharp business mind was welcomed into the royal family. Prince Joachim of Denmark found his bride in the business world. He married Alexandra Manley, a Hong Kong-born executive with a background in sales and marketing. 

Frankie Fouganthin on Wikimedia

16. Archduke John And Anna Plochl

Crossing rigid class lines, Archduke John of Austria caused a scandal by marrying Anna Plochl, a postmaster's daughter, in 1829. Due to the morganatic nature of their union, she was later granted the lesser title of Countess of Meran.

Leopold Kupelwieser on Wikimedia

17. Prince Friso And Mabel Smit

Love cost Prince Friso of the Netherlands his claim to the throne. He relinquished his succession rights to marry human rights activist Mabel Wisse Smit in 2004, a union mired in controversy over her past associations and political entanglements.

H G Cladder on Wikimedia

18. Tsar Peter The Great And Martha Skavronskaya

A Lithuanian peasant woman captured the heart of Tsar Peter the Great of Russia. Peter secretly married Martha in 1712, and after his death, she ascended the throne as Catherine I. She became the first woman to rule Russia.

Gustav von Mardefeld on Wikimedia

19. Prince George And Sarah Fairbrother

Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, married actress Sarah Fairbrother in 1847. But the law didn't recognize their marriage. Their union was invalid under the Royal Marriages Act, meaning their three children were barred from the official line of succession.

JOHN LUCAS (1807-74) on Wikimedia

20. King Eric XIV And Karin Månsdotter

King Eric XIV of Sweden's marriage to Karin Månsdotter, the daughter of a simple soldier, was highly controversial. After marrying the former maid in 1567, the political fallout ultimately contributed to the king's eventual deposition from power.

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) on Wikimedia