Turns out that Cinderella doesn't need a ball to meet her prince — she could find him in a bar.
At least, that's how Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, who's now the crown princess of Denmark, found her prince.
And then there's Kate Middleton. Her 2011 wedding to Prince William captivated millions of people around the globe. The two of them met in college.
Now, actress Meghan Markle will soon join the royal ranks when she marries Prince Harry in the spring of 2018.
We've rounded up 19 commoners who married into royal families — and an explainer for why Princess Diana isn't one of them:
Grace Kelly — Princess of Monaco
Grace Kelly began her acting career in 1950, but retired in 1956 to marry Rainier III, the prince of Monaco. They had met during a photo shoot at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, one she almost skipped. The couple had three children.
She suffered a minor stroke while driving and was killed in 1982 when the car went over the edge of a 45-foot embankment.
Charlene Wittstock — Princess of Monaco
Charlene is a former South African Olympic swimmer. She met Prince Albert II, Grace Kelly's son, during a swimming meet in Monaco in 2000. The couple went public in 2006, at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and married in July 2011. Wittstock gave birth to fraternal twins in 2014.
Kate Middleton — Duchess of Cambridge
Kate was studying art history at the University of St Andrews when she met Prince William in 2001. After dating on and off for numerous years, the couple married on April 29, 2011, and millions of people around the world tuned in to watch the ceremony. They have two children: Prince George, born in July 2013, and Princess Charlotte, born in May 2015.
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