Famous celebrities who married their way into royal families

As opposed to the life of fame and fortune relished by the royal families, the stardom and the popularity of a celebrity is very limited and impermanent. While the royals, unlike the celebrities, do not have to fret about staying relevant in the market and in their field of entertainment, they sure do have their royal duties toward their public to perform.

However, there have been instances in the past when these two totally different worlds have come together in the form of matrimonial unions that left everyone in a state of shock or in awe. From Grace Kelly’s wedding to Prince Rainer of Monaco to Meghan Markle’s marriage to Prince Harry, here are all the renowned celebrities who married their way into the royal families.

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One of the most groundbreaking and probably the first ever wedding between a famous celebrity and a royal was in 1948, when Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth married Prince Aly Khan, son of Sultan Mahommed Shah, Aga Khan III who was the leader of the Nizārī Ismaili Muslims. Reportedly, after having seen Rita in a movie, the Prince fell head over heels for the actress and made sure that a meeting was arranged between them. However, the couple eventually divorced and remarried in the following years.

While Rita Hayworth’s marriage may have been the first of its kind, actress Grace Kelly’s union with Prince Rainier of Monaco was the most classic weddings of its time. Following her marriage, the Hollywood actress gave up on her acting career and continued serving as the Queen of Monaco until her tragic death in 1982.

Before getting married to the King of Spain, Queen Letizia Ortiz was a well-renowned journalist and TV anchorwoman. Having met King Felipe VI at a dinner party, both were instantly lured by one another and following their secret dates, they finally tied the knot in 2004.

Princess Sofia of Sweden may be royalty now, but there was once a time, when she was a famous glamour model and a reality television contestant, known for her role in the ‘Paradise Hotel’. Reportedly, they met through mutual friends and finally as their love started blossoming, the couple married in 2015.

Talk about celebrities marrying their way into royal families and how can we overlook the matrimonial union between Zimbabwean-South African former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock and the Prince of Monaco. While it is said that the Queen did have some lingering doubts about the wedding and even tried escaping it, but in the end the two are happily married with two children.

Although many actresses have become a part of the royal families around the world, the British Royal Family seemed quite against it in the past. However, in 2009, British actress Sophie Winkleman broke that tradition and married, Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin Prince Michael of Kent.

Joining the league is Meghan Markle who in 2018 shocked the entire world with her wedding to Prince Harry. Before marrying the Duke of Sussex, Meghan was an American Actress, known for her role in the TV show ‘Suits’. Besides that she was also spotted in movies like ‘Get Him to the Greek’ and ‘Remember Me’ and ‘Horrible Bosses’ and in the famous game show ‘Deal or No Deal’. However, currently, she has given up her role as an actress and is living a comfortable life with her husband and her son Archie.