Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Noor of Jordan and More Modern-day American Royals
Princess Grace of Monaco was not the first American woman to marry international royalty. Over the course of the last several decades, quite a few women born in the U.S. have gone on to marry members of noted royal families.
Here, learn more about Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s marriage to Prince Harry of the British royal family and more American citizens who married international royals.
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Meghan Markle was born in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 1981. The former “Suits” star began dating Prince Harry in early 2016. The couple kept their relationship relatively private until news of their courtship became public in October 2016.
The couple became engaged in November 2017, and married less than one year later in May 2018. After their marriage, Harry and Markle received the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Harry’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. By early 2020, the couple made the decision to take a step back from their duties as senior members of the royal family and moved to Canada and later the U.S., settling in Montecito, Calif. Since that time, the couple has devoted their efforts to public service and various collaborations through their Archewell Foundation. The Duchess of Sussex unveiled products from her first lifestyle brand post-royal life: American Riviera Orchard, which she introduced in March 2024.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share two children, both of whom they are raising in America. Their son, Prince Archie, was born in the U.K. in May 2019. The couple’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in June 2021 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Queen Noor of Jordan
Queen Noor of Jordan was born Lisa Najeeb Halaby in Washington, D.C. in August 1951. Following the death of his third wife, King Hussein of Jordan married Halaby in 1978. From that time on, the Princeton University alum was Queen Consort to King Hussein until his death in 1999. The couple shared four children together.
Since her husband’s death, Queen Noor continues to dedicate her time to philanthropic efforts and divides her residences between Jordan, Washington, D.C., and the U.K. King Hussein was succeeded by his son Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, married to Queen Rania of Jordan.
Ariana Austin, Princess of Ethiopia
Ariana Austin, who originally hails from Washington, D.C., met Prince Joel David Makonnen Haile Selassie at a nightclub in 2005. The couple became engaged in 2014 and wed in 2017. Prince Joel David Makonnen Haile Selassie is the great-grandson of the emperor of Ethiopia.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco
The late Princess Grace of Monaco might be one of the most famous Americans to marry an international royal. Prior to her marriage to Prince Rainier III, Princess Grace was an actress who starred in films directed by Alfred Hitchcock and won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1955 for her performance in “The Country Girl.” The couple shared three children together. Princess Grace died in 1982 at the age of 52 following a brain hemorrhage and car accident. The former actress and her husband shared three children together.
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