Six Heiresses Who Married Into The Royal Family Circle

Since the 20th century, princes and princesses began looking for a partner outside the royal circle, which saw a major shift in royal customs regarding traditional royal marriages. Monarchs too were forced to adopt the call of times by allowing members of the royal family to marry commoners.

However, only a few of them married personalities from the billionaire circles or heiresses whose fathers are either billionaires or owned substantial business holdings. 

Marie-Chantal Miller - Born on September 17, 1968, in London, UK, she is the second child of the three daughters of American-British billionaire, Robert Warren Miller, and his Ecuadorian wife, Maria Clara Pesantes Becerra.

Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. Photo: Getty Images

Marie-Chantal Miller was raised in Hong Kong where her father co-founded a business empire now known as Duty-Free shop, the world's largest airport retail store. 

She attended Institut Le Rosey boarding school in Switzerland with her two sisters, Pia and Alexandra, then continued her education at the prestigious Ecole Active Bilingue in France. She later took up art and design at the New York Academy of Arts and New York University.

The Miller sisters became popular due to their well-connected marriages. Marie-Chantal's older sister Pia, married oil heir Christopher Getty, and her younger sister,  Alexandra, married Prince Alexandre von Furstenberg - the only son of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, both marriages of her two sisters, however, ended in divorce.

From left: Queen Ingrid of Denmark (mother of Queen Anne-Marie), Constantine II, former King of Greece, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos, Marie-Chantal, and her parents, Robert and Maria Clara Miller. Wedding day July 1995.

Marie-Chantal met Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece while attending a party thrown by their mutual friends in New Orleans, USA. They instantly hit it off and in 1995, Crown Prince Pavlos proposed

They wed on July 1, 1995, in a lavish ceremony in London, attended by royal families. Their wedding had the most royal family members in attendance than the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.

Following their wedding, her father-in-law, Constantine II, the ex-king of Greece, granted her the title, HRH The Crown Princess of Greece, although the Greek royal family is no longer reigning in Greece. 

Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, and their five children

She shared five children with Crown Prince Pavlos: Princess Maria Olympia (born in 1996, a goddaughter of King Charles III), Prince Constantine Alexios (born in 1998, a godson of Prince William), Prince Achileas Andreas (born in 2000), and Prince Odysseas Kimon (born in 2004).

Marie-Chantal's father, Robert Warren Miller, co-founded (with Charles Feeney) a Duty-free Shop in Hongkong in 1960, and later expanded globally. He also founded The Search Investment Group, an international investment company, in 1973.

Duty-free Shop, co-founded by Robert Miller, now the largest airport retail outlets in the world

The Search Investment Group Ltd is a large shareholder in Ortelius Capital Partners, an investment firm founded by Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Mr. Peter DeSorcy, based in New York City. 

Robert Miller is also the principal of SAIL advisors (Search Alternative Investments Ltd), global investors in hedge funds. In 2000, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal founded a luxury clothing brand for children, Marie-Chantal.

Tatiana Santo Domingo - She was born on November 24, 1983, in New York City to a Colombian-American billionaire father, Julio Mario Santo Domingo Jr., and a Brazilian socialite mother, Vera Rechulski. Just like Marie-Chantal Miller, Tatiana also studied at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland.

Her grandfather, also named Julio Mario Santo Domingo, owned the Santo Domingo Group, which has more than 100 business subsidiaries in Colombia, including television networks and newspapers, and a brewery company, one of the largest breweries in South America.

Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi attended the Rose Ball 2022 in Monaco

Tatiana is the niece of Alejandro Santo Domingo, an American-Colombian billionaire businessman, who is the husband of Lady Charlotte Wellesley, daughter of the 9th Duke of Wellington and Princess Antonia of Prussia.

Tatiana obtained a degree in Fine Arts majoring in visual communication from the American University in Paris, where she reportedly met her future husband, Andrea Casiraghi, the eldest child of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Italian industrialist, Stefano Casiraghi (who died in 1990 during a speed boat accident).

Tatiana and Andrea with their two children attended the Grand Prix in Monaco

After seven years in a relationship, Tatiana and Andrea got married in 2013. They have now three children: Alexandre "Sasha", India, and Maximilian Rainier, all listed in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne. Andrea is currently fourth in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

Tatiana co-founded a clothing brand, Muzungu Sisters, with Dana Alikhan. Muzungu Sisters, which is headquartered in London, focuses on ethical business practices that allow them to support local artisans. Muzungu is a Swahili term meaning "traveler".

Claire Lademacher - She was born on March 21, 1985, in Filderstadt, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Just like most children of rich businessmen, she attended a private boarding school in Switzerland. 

Claire is the daughter of a German businessman and multi-millionaire, Hartmut Lademacher, the co-founder of LHS Telekommunikation, which was later sold to Ericsson. Hartmut Lademacher owned a winery in France and castles in Saint Tropez and Croatia, and an asset management company.

Prince Felix and Princess Claire following their wedding in 2013

Claire Lademacher married Prince Felix of Luxembourg, the second son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, in September 2013. Following the wedding, Prince Felix and Princess Claire lived at her family's estate and winery chateau in France before moving to Frankfurt, Germany.

Princess Claire and Prince Felix with their two children: Princess Amalia and Prince Liam

Princess Claire obtained a master's degree in bioethics and now worked as a researcher. She also co-founded a children's clothing and decorating brand, The Young Empire Company

Beatrice Borromeo - born on August 18, 1985, in Italy, Beatrice is of noble blood. She is the daughter of Don Carlo Fernando Borromeo, Count of Arona, and Countess Paola Marzotto. Her paternal grandfather was Vitaliano Borromeo, 2nd Prince of Angera and who was related to the 17th-century Italian saint, St. Carlo Borromeo.

Donna Beatrice Borromeo-Casiraghi. Photo: AEWorld

Beatrice's father's family owned more than half of the Borromean islands, a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore, near Milan. the Borromeo family acquired the islands in the 16th century. The Borromeo islands are major local tourist attractions in Italy renowned for their picturesque setting.

The Borromean islands near Milan, Italy

Beatrice's mother's family owned the Marzotto Group of Businesses, which was once the owner of the fashion house, Valentino.

Beatrice began modeling while still a teenager. She modeled for Chanel, Valentino, and other luxury Italian brands. Today, she is the brand spokesperson of Dior. In 2021, she was named by Tatler, the bible of fashion, as the most stylish European royal.

She obtained a degree in Law from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and a master's degree in Journalism, from Columbia University in New York.

She worked as a journalist and TV host before her marriage, and also as a documentary filmmaker. In 2008, she began dating Pierre Casiraghi, the youngest son of Princess Caroline of Monaco, and the younger brother of Andrea Casiraghi.

Pierre Casiraghi and Pierre Casiraghi's wedding reception in the Borromean islands

They wed in 2015 in two ceremonies and Beatrice was wearing four wedding gowns. Their civil ceremony was held at the Prince's Palace in Monaco, and their church wedding was held in Milan, Italy, with a lavish reception held at Borromeo Castle in the Borromean islands. 

Beatrice and Pierre now have two sons together, Stefano and Francesco. Both are in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne. Pierre is currently 8th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

More about Beatrice in AEWorld Interview HERE

Nina Flohr - Born on January 22, 1987, in St. Moriz, Switzerland, Nina Nastassja Flohr is the latest heiress to marry into European royalty. She is the wife of Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, the youngest son of Constantine II, former King of Greece, and Queen Anne-Marie, the younger sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark and Nina Flohr at their church wedding in Athens

Nina is the only child of Swiss billionaire, Thomas Flohr, and Katharina Konecny, the founding editor of Vogue Russia, and former creative director of a luxury jewelry firm, Faberge. 

Thomas Flohr is the founder and chairman of VistaJet, a global business aviation company specializing in private rentals and chartered flights. Nina previously worked as the creative director of VistaJet.

VistaJet founded by Thomas Flohr in 2004

In 2017, Nina founded the Kisawa Sanctuary, a luxury hotel located on Benguerra Island in Mozambique. It has also a conservation center called the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies. 

Kisawa Sanctuary and Bazaruto Center combine tourism and environmental advocacies in Mozambique, where most of the national economy is built on the oil and gas industries.

Kisawa Sanctuary, a luxury hotel in Mozambique founded by Nina Flohr

Kisawa Sanctuary has a standalone spa called the Natural Wellness Center, specializing in traditional Chinese medicine and ayurvedic offerings. 

Nina met Prince Philippos in 2018, the same year they both attended the wedding of Prince Philippos' cousins, Prince Harry with Meghan Markle, and Princess Eugenie with Jackbrooksbank, in London. He is a godson of Diana, Princess of Wales, King Juan Carlos of Spain, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to who he was named.

Prince Philippos and Princess Nina following their religious wedding

From left: Crown Prince Pavlos, Thomas Flohr, Constantine II supported by Prince Constantine Alexios, Queen Anne-Marie, and Princess Benedikte, at the wedding of Nina and Prince Philippos

In December 2020, they had a civil ceremony in St. Moritz, Switzerland, followed by a religious wedding at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens. It was the first royal wedding held in Athens in 57 years since the wedding of the groom's parents, King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark. 

Rajwa Al Saif - She is not yet officially Jordan's Crown Princess but she would soon add to the list of daughters of billionaires who married into royalty. Apart from being an architect, Rajwa is also a fashion designer.

Official engagement photo of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif. Credit: Royal House of Hashemite

According to Saudi and British media, Rajwa's parents are immensely rich and her father is a Saudi Arabian billionaire, Khalid bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif, a descendant of Saudi Arabian Sheikhs. 

Her mother is Azza bint Nayef Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Sudairi, cousin of the reigning Saudi Arabian king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Rajwa is the fiancee of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, their official engagement was announced in August this year. And the betrothal was held at Rajwa's family home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attended by her mother's cousins, the Saudi Arabian royals.

Queen Rania, Rajwa Al Saif, Crown Prince Hussein, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. Credit: Royal House of Hashemite

Rajwa Al Saif was born in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on April 28, 1994. She is the youngest of four siblings born to businessman Khalid Al Saif and his wife Azza Al Sudairi.

Khaled Al-Saif is the CEO of The Al Saif Group, which began as an engineering and construction company, and is now a multi-national company operating in aviation, motors, heavy equipment, hospital management, medical supplies, and real estate. 

The Al Saif family descended from the Subai tribe, the sheikhs of the town of Al-Attar in Sudair. While Rajwa's mother belongs to the Al Sudairi family, the same family as the current King of Saudi Arabia's mother, Hussa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, as well as his late spouse, Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi.

Rajwa Al Saif, Prince Hassan, and Crown Prince Hussein. Credit: alhusseinjo instagram

Rajwa Al Saif obtained an Architecture degree from Syracuse University School of Architecture in New York. She also studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.

Last month, Rajwa made her first public engagement with Crown Prince Hussein when they visited an exhibit dedicated to Jordan's Hashemite history. They were accompanied by Prince Hassan bin Talal, Crown Prince Hussein's great-uncle.

Their wedding has not yet been fixed, however, following the wedding Rajwa will be known as Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Rajwa of Jordan.