- Contrary to public perception, being a princess isn't about status, wealth, or tradition.
- "People think to be a princess or prince, that it's about money. But nobody talks about duty, education, or leading by example," Princess Esther of Burundi recently said during an interview with Insider.
- Modern princesses across the world are now redefining what it means to be a royal, whether that be through their independent careers, their charity work, standing up to the tabloid press, or showing up for what they believe in.
- Insider has rounded up the 10 most fascinating modern princesses from around the world.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Princess Diana, who was nicknamed "The People's Princess" was the most popular modern princess of her time.
Lady Diana Spencer was just 20 years old when she married into the British royal family in 1981. The princess was well known for her humanitarian work, which included visiting children's hospitals, AIDS patients, and vulnerable people. It wasn't long before she earned the nickname "The People's Princess."
Fans could easily relate to the royal, who had a regular job as a nursery school teacher before marrying Prince Charles.
She made sure Prince Harry and Prince William had regular childhood experiences by taking them on trips to McDonald's and to theme parks while they were growing up.
However, at the time, Diana assumed her popularity was due to her husband, Prince Charles.
"I assumed it was because my husband had done a lot of wonderful work leading up to our marriage and our relationship," Diana told Martin Bashir during her "Panorama" interview in 1995.
"But then ... during the years you see yourself as a good product that sits on a shelf and sells well, and people make a lot of money out of you."
The princess famously blasted Charles for his affair with Camilla during the break-down of their marriage, saying: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
Princess Anne made a bold statement by marrying a commoner and refusing to give her children royal titles.
The Queen's daughter Princess Anne married Mark Phillips in 1973. It is said Phillips was offered an Earldom by the Queen, but turned her offer down for reasons unknown to the public.
Their children, Peter and Zara Phillips, were subsequently brought up without royal titles.
She spoke about the decision in a rare interview with Vanity Fair to mark her 70th birthday this year.
"I think it was probably easier for them [Zara and Peter], and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," she said.
"So I think that was probably the right thing to do."
Norway's Princess Märtha-Louise garnered attention for her spirituality tour, "The Princess and the Shaman," with her boyfriend Durek Verrett.
Märtha-Louise is the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. She has managed to maintain her position as a senior member of the Norwegian royal family while delving into her own pursuits, which most notably include her spirituality.
According to Town and Country, the princess launched Astarte Education — a school that aimed to teach its students how to communicate with angels — in 2007.
She is more recently known for her spiritual tour, "The Princess and the Shaman" with her boyfriend, Shaman Durek Verrett.
On the official website of the tour, Märtha-Louise is described as a "game changer in her own right."
"By stepping out of the traditional way of embracing her royal role having created two startups, she is inspiring people all over the world to follow their true calling in life regardless of their background and advocating for closing the gender gap," the website reads.
However, after backlash regarding the name of the tour, Märtha-Louise later announced that she would stop using her princess title for "commercial contexts."
Princess Keisha didn't know her now-husband was a Nigerian prince until two years into their relationship. Now, she's a successful businesswoman who refuses to be defined by her status.
Princess Keisha Omilana is known as "The Pantene Girl" after becoming the first African-American model to star in three consecutive Pantene commercials.
The model and entrepreneur spoke to Insider earlier this year about what it was like to discover her now-husband Prince Kunle was a prince after two years of dating.
She said she worked hard to brand herself as "The Working Princess" after she struggled to keep clients who assumed she no longer wanted to work.
"I'd book jobs and the people there were probably thinking: 'What are you doing here? We thought you'd be on the French Riviera with Kate Middleton.' That kind of thing. Navigating that was difficult," Keisha told Insider.
These days, the princess lives in London and runs "A Crown of Curls," where she teaches parents of mixed-race children how to style their children's hair.
Princess Esther of Burundi ran for president to show young women that nothing is impossible.
Princess Esther Kamatari hasn't had the easiest life. After her father, Prince Ignace Kamatari, was assassinated in 1964, Esther fled to Paris.
She started a new life and ended up beating the odds to become France's first Black model.
Then, in 2004, Esther decided she wanted to run for president — and to hold a referendum to reinstate the country's monarchy.
"Look at the countries today where you have the most liberty — England, Denmark, Spain. They are all places where royalty was never abolished," she told The Independent in 2004.
Although Esther's plans didn't work out, she told Insider she has no regrets.
She said her reason for running for president was "to show the young generation, especially women, that nothing is impossible."
"To go back to the monarchy," she said, "I don't think it's possible now because everything was destroyed.
"My parents were fighting for the people, the good of the people. But today, people are fighting for money, for something else."
The Duchess of Cambridge became the first royal mom to take official photos of her kids, and the move has completely altered her relationship with the press.
The Duchess of Cambridge made history when she took Princess Charlotte's official photos after her birth in 2015 instead of having a professional photographer do it.
Since then, Kate Middleton has continued to take the official photos of Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis every year for their birthdays, and has released other family photos to the media for Prince William's birthday, Father's Day, and Christmas.
According to former royal protection officer Simon Morgan, this has allowed Middleton to develop a good relationship with the press, and it limits the intrusion the family faces.
"In regards to the royal family, they will give a little bit, and the media will give a little bit, therefore they can come to a satisfactory outcome, certainly in regards to access," Morgan previously told Insider.
"Obviously the Cambridges are very good at that, with regards to the duchess' pictures that she puts into the press.
"So the press ultimately don't follow them around looking for those types of pictures. It's a two-way scenario."
Princess Sofia of Sweden swapped out her tiara for hospital scrubs when she volunteered during the coronavirus pandemic.
Princess Sofia — born Sofia Kristina Hellqvist — was a glamour model and reality TV star before becoming a member of the Swedish royal family in 2015.
She received criticism in the lead up to her wedding to Prince Carl Philip, with many press outlets publishing stories and photos from her time as a glamour model.
Nonetheless, the princess said in a TV interview that she doesn't "regret anything" from her past.
"All these experiences have made me the person I am. I wouldn't have made those choices today," she said.
In the years that followed her wedding, Sofia has worked hard both in the public eye and behind-the-scenes to serve her country.
She took this a step further in 2020, when she volunteered at Sophiahemmet Hospital after taking a three-day medical emergency training course.
The princess helped to relieve the work of healthcare staff due to the increased workload that came as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia donated medical supplies worth $620,000.
Princess Sofia isn't the only royal doing her part during the pandemic.
Crown Princess Katherine — wife of Crown Prince Alexander — has always been passionate about charity work, especially in relation to children and the elderly.
In June 2020, she donated $620,000 worth of medical supplies to hospitals across Serbia in an effort to help fight the pandemic, Royal Central reports.
"Doctors and nurses are risking their lives to save lives; we need to help them," Katherine said in a statement.
"They are our heroes," she added.
"My husband and I thank very much Dr. Douglas Jackson, CEO of Project CURE which has been helping the Princess Katherine Foundation in Serbia for several years.
"It is very important, especially at this time considering what heroic doctors, nurses, and medical staff have gone through due to the coronavirus risking their lives to help people and to save lives."
Princess Miriam of Bulgaria overcame tragedy after the loss of her husband, Prince Kardam.
Miriam de Ungría became the Princess of Turnovo when she married Bulgaria's Prince Kardam in 1996.
In 2008, the couple were involved in a serious car crash in Madrid. Their vehicle hit a tree and was flipped over, causing Miriam to suffer a broken elbow, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, according to Hello! Magazine.
Meanwhile, Kardam's injuries were significantly worse, with brain-skull trauma and injuries to his hands.
He ultimately passed away in 2015 after years of health struggles due to the accident.
"His death was the result of a pulmonary infection, which was related to the paralysis he suffered for several years following a car accident in 2008 that he never recovered from," the prince's father, the former Tsar of Bulgaria, said in a statement.
In the years that followed, Miriam focused both on her family life (she has two sons, Prince Boris and Prince Beltrán) and her jewelry line.
Miriam has had a life-long career as a gemologist, and launched her first jewelry collection in 1991.
In 2014, she launched MdeU, a luxury brand that creates jewelry and accessories fit for any royal — or wannabe royal — with tiaras, earrings, bracelets, and brooches.
The Duchess of Sussex stood up to the British tabloids after being "prohibited" from defending herself by the palace press team.
As a biracial American woman and an actress who had already carved out her own career, Meghan Markle was different from anything the royal family had seen before. When she married Prince Harry in 2018, royal watchers were hopeful.
The couple's St George's Chapel nuptials symbolized a "turning point for the monarchy," royal author Katie Nicholl wrote at the time.
"Complete with a gospel choir and an African American bishop, the ceremony was a departure from tradition and captured the imagination of the world," Nicholl wrote in her book, "Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss, and Love."
However, Markle's battle with the British press was something that couldn't be ignored. After admitting her struggles in an emotional interview last year, she accused the tabloids of writing false stories about her.
She later admitted she felt "unprotected" by the palace press team, who wouldn't allow her to respond to the false stories.
After resigning from her royal role at the beginning of the year, Markle and Prince Harry cut off all contact with four British tabloids: The Sun, The Daily Express, The Daily Mirror, and The Daily Mail.
In a letter written to each publication, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they no longer want to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion."
Read more:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrote explosive letters to 4 British tabloids cutting off all contact
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