While some dream of meeting and marrying a prince or princess, others actually find themselves in the middle of a royal wedding, pledging to love and cherish their newly chosen blue-blooded spouse in front of the British monarchy.
Deciding to marry into the royal family comes with a long list of pros and cons, but one thing is for sure: life is about to change in a big way for the outsider in the relationship.
For the likes of Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle and Duchess Sophie, their entire worlds were shifted upside down from the moment they were first photographed with their royal partners.
Everything changed, from what they were allowed to wear, to where they were expected to socialise and how they were expected to behave both in public and behind closed doors. Here’s an insight into the transformations of now-famous royals before they said ‘I do’ to their prince or princess.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetQueen Camilla
Before she married King Charles, Queen Camilla was simply Camilla Shand. Her upbringing was far from working class, as she was raised by Major Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand in an 18th-century country home called The Laines in the village of Plumpton, East Sussex.
Enjoying a childhood peppered with finishing schools in Switzerland and France, Camilla went on to meet the then-Prince Charles in 1970 at a polo match at Windsor Great Park. The pair connected through mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz and struck up a long-term affair.
Following Charles’ divorce from Princess Diana in 1996, he proposed to Camilla in 2005, and they wed in a civil ceremony less than three months later. She became Queen Consort in 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II died.
© Getty ImagesThe Princess of Wales
Born Catherine Middleton, Prince William’s wife was first introduced to the press as Kate, with whom he lived in the same halls at the University of St Andrews.
The now-44-year-old mother of the future king of England started dating her prince in 2003 and quickly became one of the most famous royal girlfriends.
As Kate, she dressed in casual outfits featuring low-rise jeans, cowboy boots and raucous clubbing outfits that she wore to London’s jazziest nightlife spots. However, once she accepted William’s proposal in 2010, she became much more refined and elegant regarding her wardrobe choices and her behaviour.
© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImageThe Duchess of Sussex
Meghan Markle made a name for herself as part of the cast of legal drama Suits, and rose to fame as paralegal Rachel Zane, before securing herself a spot in the British royal family.
The now-44-year-old mother-of-two married Prince Harry in 2018 and radically changed her dress sense as she integrated herself into the fold.
Struggling to adjust her lifestyle to the reserved manner of the royals, Meghan ultimately decided to take a step back with her husband and the couple moved to America to raise their children in January 2020.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe Duchess of Edinburgh
Growing up as Sophie Rhys-Jones, Prince Edward’s future wife enjoyed a middle-class upbringing in a 17th-century farmhouse in Brenchley, Kent.
She carved out a career for herself in public relations before her fateful meeting with the late Queen’s youngest child. Sophie first met her husband in 1987 while working in public relations at Capital Radio, however, they only struck up a relationship in 1993, when they met again at a charity tennis event.
They married in 1999, and Sophie later paused her PR work for a life as a senior member of the royal family, attending engagements and charity events.
© GC ImagesJack Brooksbank
Jack began his working life in hospitality and managed the popular London nightclub, Mahiki, before devoting himself to a life as a royal’s husband. He also worked as a brand ambassador for George Clooney’s tequila brand Casamigos.
The now-39-year-old first encountered Princess Eugenie in 2010 while skiing in Verbier, Switzerland and was introduced to the daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson by mutual friends.
They married in October 2018 and have since welcomed two sons together, August and Ernest.
© GC ImagesEdoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Already hailing from Italian aristocracy, Edoardo was born into one of the wealthiest dynasties in the European country.
Despite his family’s notoriety and opulence, they are not royalty, so he only garnered regal connections when he married Princess Beatrice in 2020.
The property developer and the British princess welcomed their daughter Sienna in September 2021 and Athena in January 2025.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesMike Tindall
An ex-professional rugby player and England captain, Mike represented his country on more than one occasion from 2000 until 2011.
He met his wife, Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, during England’s Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2003.
The couple dated for seven years before Mike asked Zara to marry him, following which Buckingham Palace announced the engagement just before Christmas in 2010.
Zara and Mike married in July 2011 in Edinburgh, and they have since welcomed three children: Mia, 12, Lena, seven and Lucas, five.
© Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesSarah Ferguson
The wife of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was nicknamed Fergie as she stepped into the limelight and was only 26 when she married the former prince.
Before settling down to be Andrew’s wife and a mother to their two girls, Beatrice and Eugenie, Sarah worked for an art gallery, two PR firms and a publishing company, following her training as a secretary.