21 commoners who married into royalty: from Meghan Markle to Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, now Princess of Monaco, and ex-Apple employee Queen Rania of Jordan

Nov 1 , 2021

They may seem like natural born royals now, but these four were “commoners” before meeting the love of their life. Photos: @dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram; AP; TNS; @royalworldthailand/Instagram

It’s not just Empress Masako who controversially fell in love with a commoner, as these 20 other romances show – so are the relationships still going strong?

Letizia of Spain was a news journalist before becoming queen, and Sofia Hellqvist was a glamour model and reality star before becoming Princess of Sweden

Love is love, as they say, so it’s no surprise that royals around the world have fallen in love with commoners over the years. While some, like Kate Middleton, were welcomed with open arms, others haven’t had it quite so easy. Just ask paralegal Kei Komuro, who recently wed Japan’s Princess Mako.

Here are 21 commoners who married into royalty.

Grace Kelly became royalty after tying the knot with Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco

Hollywood actress Grace Kelly with her husband Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco. Photo: Bang Showbiz

Grace Kelly, the daughter of a three-time Olympic gold medallist in rowing, began her acting career in 1950, but she retired in 1956 to marry Rainier III. They had met during a photo shoot at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, one Grace almost skipped. The couple married a year later and had three children.

In 1982, she suffered a minor stroke while driving and was critically injured when the car went over the edge of a 45-foot embankment. Grace died the following night at the hospital.

Michiko Shōda, former Empress of Japan, met her future husband, then-Crown Prince Akihito, while playing tennis in 1957

Japan’s Prince Akihito and Michiko Shoda in their royal carriage in Tokyo after their wedding in 1959. Photo: AP

Though many officials opposed the relationship because of Michiko’s lineage, the couple were granted permission to marry in 1959, establishing Michiko as the first commoner to marry into the imperial family. They have three children.

Sonja Haraldsen, Queen of Norway, tied the knot with then-Crown Prince Harald

Norway’s Queen Sonja with husband King Harald at the opening of the new Munch Museum in October 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE