The decision made by Prince Harry and the beautiful Meghan Markle on January 8th, about the desire to abandon the real burdens (and honours) to become economically independent, has caused quite a stir… but it is not the first time! In history, in fact, there have been many princesses and princes who have renounced the throne and, very often, love is considered the greatest accused. Of the few monarchies left in the world, there are not even thirty, there have been many cases of those who preferred to lead a normal life, preferred to choose for themselves, despite this entailing the renunciation of what until some time ago was the perfect happy ending of our favourite fairy tales.
It may be that times have finally changed. Or maybe the idea of going down the aisle of a palace with crystal shoes and long chiffon skirts is no longer so cool? Probably yes, or more simply, there are those who (perhaps sure of the heritage they deserve) are in no way interested in becoming one of those Disney characters that we have always idolized, but prefer freedom or, given the latest statements, the career of influencers who knows…But what is the face of the princesses and royalty who renounced the throne? What are the reasons that Games of Thrones would not share that pushed these people to choose a normal life?
The first, historically considered the abductor par excellence, was a member of the British royal house. We are talking about Edward VIII who for the love of Wallis Simpson made scandal the daily bread at Buckingham Palace. What happened? Without leaving Windsor home, in 1936 King Edward VIII announced that he wanted to abdicate, passing the crown to his brother George VI and putting Elizabeth on the line of succession to the throne. The choice was dictated by love for the American Wallis Simpson, who, after a divorce, was not considered up to the laws of the time.
But let’s not stick to the past! Who are the modern princesses who followed the example of Edward VIII? The young and beautiful Madeleine of Sweden perhaps started this anti-princely wave in 2008, when the first rumours about the will to renounce the throne had created a real scandal. Promised bride of Prince William, before he fell in love with his wife Kate Middleton, Madeleine married in 2010 the American Christopher O’Neil, with whom she moved to Florida in 2018, giving up her real duties. A little different from the choice made instead by Prince Charles Philip of Sweden, who fell in love with the ex-model Sophie Hellqvist, married her making her become the Cinderella of today. All is well that ends well in short, throne or not today Madeleine and Christopher are parents of three wonderful children, and Charles Philip and Sophie of two!
It did not go so well instead to the ruler Muhammad V who recently abdicated just to marry the woman for whom he had lost his head: the Russian model Oksana Voevodina, unsuitable as queen as compromised by hot images. Do you want to know how it ended? A few months after the wedding, they’re filing for divorce and for now, there is talk of a maintenance of almost 27 thousand euros per month! … not bad as a renunciation of the throne. Other times, however, it is not love that makes the crowns fall, but the taxman. Princess Cristina of Bourbon, sister of King Felipe VI, was forced to leave the title she would never give up, due to a heavy tax fraud.
But now let’s go back to the happy ending! The last romantic ex-princess is the Japanese Ayako, nephew of Emperor Akihito, who married her bourgeois friend Kei Moriya in 2018 in Tokyo. Between the two it was love at first sight and Princess Ayako had no doubts about giving up her noble title. Today she works as a researcher at the Josai University of Chiba, while the groom works for a shipping company … but the empire still guarantees her a compensation equal to 840 thousand euros (one-off) for the “maintenance of her individual dignity”.
And what would you choose? Would you carry the crown high or would you prefer a free and common life?