5 royals who are friends with other royals, from Prince Harry and former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, to Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe of Denmark

Jan 24 , 2022

Discover some of the friendships forged between royals from different countries. Photos: Getty, AP

Whether they were born into royalty or married into the family, princes and princesses, kings and queens the world over have often bonded over their shared experiences.

Here are a few perhaps surprising royal family friendships that have transcended borders.

1. Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and Queen Mathilde of Belgium open a sculpture exhibition together in 2015, in the Netherlands. Photo: Getty Images

Both Mathilde and Máxima wed their country’s kings to become royals, and although they have occasionally been required to carry out official duties together, they’ve also made personal visits to one another too.

It helps that their husbands, King Philippe of Belgium and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, are also friends. In fact, Maxima visited Mathilde in hospital right after she gave birth to Princess Elisabeth, and Mathilde is the godmother of Máxima’s daughter Princess Alexia (she’s also godparent to Princess Isabella of Denmark).

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2. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden enjoy the festivities after Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s wedding in 2013. Photo: AP

The Scandinavian royal families are known to be close with each other. The Swedish crown princess and her husband Prince Daniel attended the 2004 wedding of Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, and vice versa.

“Frederik always comes into a room with sparkling eyes and sees people, both privately and officially,” Victoria is quoted as saying in a biography about the prince. “It is as if he meets one with his eyes and is very present, genuinely engaged and curious. There are people who ask questions, but never take time to wait for the answer. Frederik always waits for the answer.”

3. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe of Denmark

Pre-pandemic, Queen Margrethe of Denmark reportedly visited Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as often as her schedule would allow. Photo: AP

As the only two reigning female monarchs, Britain’s 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth and Denmark’s 81-year-old Queen Margrethe have forged a solid friendship. But the pair are also third cousins, and as well as meeting regularly at family and public events before the pandemic, Queen Margrethe would often visit Buckingham Palace as often as her schedule permitted, according to the UK’s Express newspaper.

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4. Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Both Tessy Antony de Nassau and Prince Harry bonded over a passion for social causes. Photos: @tessy_from_luxembourg/Instagram, TNS

Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg has regularly shared public messages of support for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Tessy Antony de Nassau separated from Prince Louis in 2017, and lost her title when she divorced him in 2019.

She pointed to her close friendship with Harry in November 2021, when she shared a video from her work with the Oscars for Social Change, which champions minority groups and challenges homophobia, among other causes. “I have been the guest of honour and speaker for two years in a row along with my dear friend, fellow advocate and inspiration HRH Prince Harry,” she captioned the post.

5. Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Rania of Jordan

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Aside from their husbands, King Felipe and King Abdullah II, showing public support for each other in statements of congratulations, or occasions when the two women work together on foreign trips, these women famously get along despite living continents apart.

The European and Middle Eastern royals are such good friends that people have noticed the pair have even started to look and dress alike, with the women often appearing to coordinate outfits and even being dubbed lookalikes. During a 2015 trip to Spain, the Jordanian royals were said to have received special treatment from their friends, who rushed to meet them at the airport instead of greeting them at the palace.

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Royalty

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe of Denmark aren’t only bound by the fact that they’re the world’s only reigning female monarchs, but they’re also third cousins
Both Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Belgium’s Queen Mathilde married into royalty, and are so close that Queen Mathilde is godmother to her daughter Alexia