Commoners Who Became Princesses: Rules of Engagement

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Kendra Spears and Prince Rahim Aga Khan

Model turned princess Kendra Spears married Prince Rahim Aga Khan on Saturday in Geneva, Switzerland. He's not the first member of his family to marry a commoner - or, for that matter, a model. Khan's father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, wed British fashion model Sarah Croker-Poole in 1969, and his grandfather, Prince Aly Khan, married Hollywood legend Rita Hayworth in 1949. The idea of becoming a princess might sound dreamy, but marrying royalty doesn't guarantee a fairy-tale romance. While some matches endure, others spark national derision or even lead to abdication, as was the case when American divorcee Wallis Simpson and Britain's King Edward VIII wanted to marry in the late 1930s. Despite the riches and glamour, many unions between commoners and royals simply end in plain old divorce. However, the pomp and excitement of a royal wedding can also inspire and unite a whole country, if only for one magical day. - Sarah B. Weir, Shine senior writer