In one of the most dramatic ruptures in British royal history, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will give up their state funding and stop using their royal titles.
In his first public address, Harry said they were left with ‘no-other option.’ Turns-out other international royals have felt the same.
Japan: Princess Ayako
The Japanese royal family, known as the Imperial House of Japan, is claimed to be the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.
The family undertakes official and public duties, according to the Japanese constitution they are the “symbol of the State and the unity of the people.”
So, it was a shock to the country when Princess Ayako chose to step away from the royal family in order to marry a commoner.
In 2018, the former Princess married Japanese businessman Kei Moriya who doesn’t have any royal or aristocratic family ties, forcing Ayako to renounce her royal title, status and allowance in order to marry him. She was given a one-off payment of more than a million dollars when leaving the family. Ayako has three children with her husband.
Princess Ayako and her husband. Source: AAP
Norway: Princess Märtha Louise
The eldest and only daughter of Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja chose to marry a commoner in 2002, which meant withdrawing from royal life and forfeiting more than $1 million in annual allowances.
Martha Louise married acclaimed author and artist Ari Behn, the pair divorced in 2017. Behn, one of several people who accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct, took his own life over the Christmas period last year. The Norwegian royal family said in a written statement that he was "an important part of our family for many years and we carry warm and good memories of him with us."
The former-royal made a career as a business woman and alternative therapist, including training in clairvoyance. Martha Louise attracted controversy for using her constitutional title “princess” in her business activities as a clairvoyant. She announced last year she would no longer use the title in commercial pursuits.
Martha Louise announced her professional and romantic relationship with self-described American shaman Durek Verrett last year.
United Arab Emerates: Princess Haya and Princess Latifa
Princess Latifa of Dubai tried to leave her royal life behind in 2018 when she tried to escape the country. According to her friend the 33-year-old princess was not permitted to work or study and desperately wanted another life. Their pair attempted to flee across the Indian Ocean, but their vessel was stopped by UAE authorities and the Princess was forcibly returned.
Princess Latifa’s stepmother, Jordanian Princess Haya bint Hussein, successfully fled to the UK seeking protection for her daughter from forced marriage. Princess Haya had been married to the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, when she fled to England seeking a forced marriage protection order and a non-molestation order. She is living in England while fighting for custody of their children. Her half-brother is the Jordanian King Abdullah II. Their matter is still in court.
Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum and his wife Princess Haya of Jordan walk towards the paddock on the second day of Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England. Source: AP/Alastair Grant
Sweden: Royal grandchildren
The five grandchildren of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are no longer members of the Swedish Royal House after their grandfather removed their titles of Their Royal Highnesses in August last year. In a statement released by the Swedish Royal House, the decision was to establish which member of the royal family would be expected to perform official duties.
The King’s daughter Princess Madeleine supported her father’s decision, writing on Instagram that her children “now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as individuals in the future.
The decision followed public questioning of taxpayer funded members of the family who may not be needed to perform official duties.
Denmark: Extra-royal activities
Although Danish royals haven’t forfeited their titles many senior members have balanced royal and non-royal duties.
Crown Prince Frederik, married to Australian Princess Mary, was a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Prince Frederik’s brother, Prince Joachim, studied agriculture and spent two years in the mid-1980s working on a farm in Australia. Joachim and his French wife Princess Marie moved to Paris last year so the Prince could attend a high ranking military leadership training course. Joachim’s oldest son, Prince Nikolai, attends a business school in Copenhagen and has worked as a model.
Prince Henrik and wife Queen Margrethe with Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary's brood. Source: AAP
