Before Meghan Markle, there was Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow and the one and only Grace Kelly.
That’s right, Meghan wasn’t the first Hollywood star to have a taste of the royal life and she definitely won’t be the last!
Below, 14 celebrities who rode the royal wave, whether it was a short romance like Naomi Campbell, or a marriage streamed to millions like Grace Kelly.
1. Grace Kelly
Thought to be Meghan’s inspiration, Grace Kelly came from Hollywood and married the Prince of Monaco, becoming the most famous royal love story.
2. Naomi Campbell
The famous model was linked to Monaco’s Albert II, with plenty of images online showcasing their PDA. Naomi Campbell was still invited to the Monaco royal wedding in 2011 and she was glowing – we doubt the supermodel was jealous as she walked in with billionaire businessman Vladimir Doronin. Now that’s a way to still be friends!
3. Ellie Goulding
Reports say that Ellie Goulding is invited to the royal wedding this month… but not many people know that she was considered an item with Prince Harry. Talk about awkward! It wasn’t anything too serious, Ellie also performed at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011.
4. Olivia Wilde
Before marrying Jason Sudeikis, Olivia was married to Tao Ruspoli – the son of aristocrat Prince Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri. The marriage was finalised in 2011 and lasted for eight years.
5. Rita Hayworth
In the 1940s, Hollywood’s “Love Goddess” was connected to the legendary playboy son of the Aga Khan – Aly Khan. They married in 1949 and had a daughter. Reportedly, their fairytale ended over fights about how to raise their daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan.
6. Diane von Fürstenberg
The famous fashion designer was once a Princess. Formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg, she married the Prince Egon von Fürstenberg in 1969. She wasn’t popular in the royal family due to her Jewish ethnicity, with her mum surviving the Holocaust 18 months before her birth, and the pair divorced in 1973.
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
Nothing is official with the Queen of Goop but she has been rumoured to have dated two royals. She has denied rumours she romanced Spain’s Felipe VI in 2002 and may have had a fling with Albert II of Monaco. She is now recently engaged to Brad Falchuk.
8. Cressida Bonas
Another one of Harry’s ex-girlfriends and another to possibly be invited to the royal wedding… Cressida gained international fame when she dated Harry from 2012 to 2014. Her feelings towards the royal couple? She told The Times, “I’d rather not go into it.”
9. Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis married Christopher Guest in 1984 and when his father unfortunately passed away, he inherited the Barony of Haden-Guest in 1996, making her the Baroness Haden-Guest.
10. Rob Lowe
The actor famous for movies St Elmo’s Fire and The Outsiders had his taste of royalty when he briefly dated Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Not the first time that Monaco mixed with Hollywood, Princess Stephanie is the daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III.
11. Zsa Zsa Gabor
Famous for her extravagant Hollywood lifestyle and many marriages, Gabor’s ninth and final marriage was to Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt (also known as Prince Frédéric of Anhalt, Duke of Saxony and Westphalia, Count of Ascania).
12. Princess Sofia
Prior to her marriage, Sofia was a model and reality tv contestant on a show called Paradise Hotel. Fast forward and she is now a Princess, married to Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Varmland.
13. Jessica Chastain
Famous actress, feminist and animal activist, Jessica Chastain is married to a member of an Italian noble family, Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo.