Royal rebels: Prince Harry attacked the press for hounding Meghan Markle and Prince Rostislav made a watch from his own blood – 5 princes breaking royal rules

Nov 25 , 2020

The rebel princes: Prince Harry, Crown Prince Haakon and Prince William. Photos: @sussexroyal/Instagram; @detnorskekongehus/Instagram; @kensingtonroyal/Instagram

Having a royal title has a lot of perks, but it also comes with a long list of traditions and protocols to follow (or, if you’re Meghan Markle – not). But there are still some brave royals out there who are not afraid to go against the grain – here are five princes who march to the beat of their own drum.

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Prince Harry defended Meghan Markle from the media

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leaving Canada House in London. Photo: AP

Ever since he was young, Prince Harry has repeatedly made headlines for breaking protocol. Still, no one saw it coming when he defied the British royal family’s “never complain, never explain” mantra in 2016. In an unprecedented statement, the Duke of Sussex publicly derided the tabloids and paparazzi who he said were subjecting Meghan Markle to a “wave of abuse and harassment”. Four years later, Prince Harry once again publicly defended his wife as he spoke about their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family.

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Crown Prince Haakon lived with his wife before they were married

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon followed in the footsteps of his father, King Harald V, and married a commoner. While Norwegians had no problem with that, many took issue with the fact that he was marrying a single mother and living with her even before tying the knot. Days before the wedding, the couple tearfully addressed the nation about Princess Mette-Marit’s past. Since then, many citizens have come to support Haakon’s decision to marry the woman he truly loves.

Prince William takes the same flight as Prince George

Prince William and Kate with their children George and Charlotte. Photo: @KensingtonRoyal/Instagram

Similar to his mother, Princess Diana, and brother Harry, the Duke of Cambridge has had his own share of rule-breaking moments. For one, he travels on the same plane as his firstborn, Prince George. This was always forbidden for British royal heirs to protect the line of succession to the throne. However, according to Business Insider, Prince William got special permission from the queen when George was nine months old, and has continued to break this unofficial rule every time he and his son have flown to other countries since.

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Prince Friso gave up his claim to the throne for love

Though not the first in history to do it, Prince Friso still rocked the royal world when he happily threw away his right to the Dutch crown for his love, Mabel Wisse Smit. Known fondly as “Prince Brilliant” for his academic achievements, the second son of former Queen Beatrix chose to marry without seeking approval from parliament, ultimately meaning he would be cut from the line of succession. The Prince and Princess of Orange-Nassau (as they are better known) stayed together until his untimely death in 2012 at the age of 44 in an avalanche accident.

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Prince Rostislav designed a watch using his own blood

Prince Rostislav Romanov. Photo: @royalisticism/Instagram

One of the descendants of Russia’s tragic Romanov imperial family, Prince Rostislav pushed the boundaries as a royal when he designed a controversial watch for Russian watchmaker Raketa. In 2018 the great-great-grandson of Grand Duchess Xenia (sister of Tsar Nicholas II) came up with a timepiece that contained the family crest – and his blood. According to “Rösti”, who is a successful artist now based in the UK, the watch was to mark the 100th anniversary of Tsar Nicholas II and his family’s execution in 1918.

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Royalty

Protocol be damned: Prince William isn’t supposed to fly on the same plane as Prince George, and Norway’s Prince Haakon ignored critics to be with his love – the princes doing things differently