The media constantly criticizes them
The most obvious case is with Meghan Markle, but this tradition started long before her. For years, highly-ranked women have dealt with their reputations being tarnished by the cameras and the media. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was accused of being a Princess Diana wannabe when she started dating Prince Edward. The media was also critical of Princess Charlene of Monaco — so much so that she began crying at the end of her wedding ceremony, and it wasn’t with happy tears. The tabloids love to make women the villains, don’t they?
The ghosts of ex-boyfriends’ pasts can come crawling back
The media aren’t the only ones coming to ruin a royal bride’s reputation. These wives have often been humiliated by past lovers and ex-boyfriends once they have the spotlight on them. Both Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Diana had their exes write books on their relationships. James Hewitt, a former lover of Diana, wrote the tell-all “Princess in Love” and even revealed her experience with bulimia.
Royal wives must always put their husbands first
Husbands come #1, as does the monarchy. This is part of why being a royal wife isn’t all it’s chalked up to be. The needs of the monarchy and the king are prioritized over all else. This might seem like an outdated notion, but it’s still in practice by many wives belonging to royalty. In 2011, Princess Charlene of Monaco was forced to plan her honeymoon around Prince Albert’s chaotic work schedule. Although they were supposed to have a romantic getaway in South Africa, Albert spent most of his time in meetings with the Olympic Committee.
