When a royal marries a commoner (someone not born royal), commoners everywhere rejoice at their fairy tale. However, marrying “down” is not so uncommon anymore. In fact, several royal-commoner matches have been made. See the happy young royals and their partners of choice below and don’t be too discouraged. There are still some attractive, young royals who’ve yet to wed!
Prince William of Wales & Catherine “Kate” Middleton
The most popular commoner of our time to marry a royal, is fashionista Kate Middleton. Her parents are highly successful business owners and sent this native Brit to St. Andrews University in Scotland, where she met the dashing young prince in 2001.
After a long relationship, their engagement was finally announced on November 16, 2010, using the same sapphire and diamond engagement ring William’s father, gave his mother, Princess Diana. We’re all very glad that Will's royal grandparents have allowed him to marry Kate.
The wedding will take place on April 29th, 2011. For last minute details and viewing, please visit the official website.
The Late King Hussein I & Queen Noor of Jordan
Stunning commoner Elizabeth “Lisa” Najeeb Halaby is the daughter of distinguished politician, Najeeb Halaby, who served under presidents Truman and Kennedy, and later became the CEO of Pan American Airways.
This D.C. native left for Australia, then Iran, to work in town-planning. In 1977, Lisa began working for her father, now the Director of Facilities Planning and Design in Jordan, to redesign their airlines. Its here that she met King Hussein—a recent widower who’d become a friend of her father.
When the two were married a year later, Lisa renounced her US citizenship, converted to Islam, and became Queen Noor Al-Hussein. She had 11 children: seven step-children and four biological. When her husband died in 1999, Noor became the Queen Dowager, and Hussein’s firstborn Abdullah II ascended the throne.
Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
This Norse goddess caused quite an uproar when she started dating the handsome Haakon. Her lack of education, waitress job, interest in the rave scene, and illegitimate son Marius seemed to disqualify her, but Haakon thought differently.
The couple met in the late 1990s at Quart Festival, Norway’s largest rock festival, and hit it off. Their engagement was announced December 1, 2000. He proposed using the same ring as his father and grandfather. Their wedding on August 25, 2001 has produced two heirs: Princess Ingrid and Prince Sverre.
Prince Willem-Alexander & Princess Maxima of the Netherlands
This Argentinean is the daughter of a politician who served under dictator Jorge Rafael Videla. Maxima, the descendant of Inca Emperor Túpac Huallpa, was a successful investment banker working for large international companies in Argentina, New York, and Europe.
Maxima met the prince in Sevilla, Spain in 1999; he introduced himself simply as “Alexander”. She thought he was joking when he told her he was a prince. Since her father’s presence at the wedding would be controversial (due to his political past), he and his wife offered to not attend.
After the Dutch Parliament agreed to the marriage and her conversion to Protestantism, Maxima married Prince Willem-Alexander in a civil ceremony on February 2, 2002, followed by a religious ceremony. They have three children: Princesses Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane.
Crown Prince Frederick & Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
This photogenic couple met at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. The native Aussie’s father was professor and her mother was the secretary to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania.
Mary created quite a resume for herself in advertising before marrying Crown Prince Frederick. They maintained a long distance relationship and were officially engaged on October 8, 2003.
The Danish parliament passed “Mary’s Law” which granted her citizenship upon marriage. After converting to Lutheranism and signing a pre-nup, the couple married on May 14, 2004. Frederick and Mary now have four lovely children: Christian, Isabella, and twins Vincent and Josephine.
Crown Prince Felipe & Princess Letizia of Asturias
This Spanish rose was quite the journalist before marrying the gorgeous Crown Prince Felipe. Journalism was the reason they met.
Letizia’s father was also a journalist and her mother a registered nurse and hospital union representative. And although considered “common”, Letizia’s lineage can be traced through her paternal grandfather to high office holders in Castile for several centuries.
Letizia’s first marriage ended in 1999 without children. When it came time for her to remarry, Pope John Paul II considered her first marriage invalid since there’d only been a civil ceremony and consecrated her marriage to Felipe.
Their engagement was announced on November 1, 2003, with the wedding following on May 22, 2004. Letizia is now addressed as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias; the couple has two daughters: Infantas Leonor and Sofia.
Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel of Sweden
Daniel Westling is the former CEO of Balance Training, a business owning three gyms in Stockholm. He met Crown Princess Victoria while serving as her personal trainer.
Victoria’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, initially disapproved the match due to Daniel’s occupation. Yet, he himself married a commoner—his wife, Queen Silvia, the German-Brazilian maternal granddaughter of Portuguese royalty. Eventually, the king granted his permission, and on February 24, 2009 the couple became officially engaged.
Victoria, first heiress apparent of Sweden, married Daniel on June 19, 2010. The new prince stepped down as CEO from his business, but has been allowed to remain an equity partner. It has lately been discovered that Daniel’s lineage traces back to 14th century nobility.
Prince Albert II of Monaco & Charlene Wittstock
Zimbabwe native and former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock is engaged to the Albert of Monaco. She’s the daughter of a computer business operator and a former competitive diving mother and has earned several notable titles.
The couple met in 2000 while Charlene was in Monaco for a swimming competition. They began seeing each other in 2006 and announced their engagement on June 23, 2010.
And Albert isn’t the only one in his family to marry a commoner. His father, the late Prince Rainier III, was married to American film start, Grace Kelly.
Since the engagement, Charlene has learned French (also the Monegasque dialect), court protocol, and has also converted to Catholicism.
The wedding ceremonies are planned for June 2, 2011 (civil) and June 3, 2011 (religious). After Will and Kate marry, hopefully all royal wedding attention will turn to Prince Albert and Charlene.
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