Royals with day jobs: European royalty who have pursued careers away from their titles

From pilots to bankers and models to fashion designers – these princes, princesses and even a king have worked a regular 9 to 5

On Tuesday, it was announced that Prince Harry has taken on a job at the Silicon Valley coaching and mental health firm BetterUp Inc. The Duke of Sussex stepped down as a senior royal in 2020, and is set to become the chief impact officer at the company, a role that he hopes "creates impact in people's lives".

However, Harry is not the first, and certainly won't be the last, international royal to take a regular day job.

Here, we round up the royals that have been put to work ...

1. Prince Nikolai, Denmark

Prince Nikolai of Denmark walks the runway during the Dior Homme menswear spring / summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in June 2018 in Paris, France. Getty Images  

Prince Nikolai of Denmark, 21, is the grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and eldest son of Prince Joachim, the queen's second son. Prince Joachim's elder brother, Prince Frederik is the country's crown prince.

Prince Nikolai is currently seventh in line to the Danish throne and works as a full-time model. He has appeared on Dior and Burberry runways, and walked during London Fashion Week in 2018.

Of his son, Prince Joachim, who has worked as a farmer in the past, said: "He shouldn't be forced into anything. Nikolai's life must go completely according to his own plan. I want to help him along the way and try to inspire him."

2. Princess Martha Louise, Norway

Princess Martha Louise of Norway is a businesswoman who takes few royal engagements. The Royal Court

Princess Martha Louise, 49, is the only daughter of Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja. She is the eldest child, however, her younger brother Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, is first in line for the throne.

Although she is third in line, she is not a member of the royal house and rarely makes official public engagements. She trained as a physiotherapist, but has never practiced. Instead, she established an entertainment business that creates public and televised performances from traditional Norwegian folk tales. She has also released her own children's book.

3. Princess Beatrice, Britain 

Britain's Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice both have jobs away from their royal duties. Ian Jones

Granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Princess Beatrice, 32, has had a number of jobs, including volunteering as a sales assistant at London department store Selfridges in the summer of 2008.

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More recently, she has taken on the job of vice-president of partnerships and strategy at artificial intelligence firm Afiniti. She is also "in charge of [a company] programme to engage senior business chiefs around the world to support women in leadership".

4. Princess Eugenie, Britain 

Like her sister Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, 31, has taken on a number of jobs away from her royal duties. After graduating from university, she moved to New York City to work for auction firm Paddle8 as a benefit auctions manager in 2013.

She has remained within the art world and took on a role at London's Hauser & Wirth art gallery in 2015; she was promoted to director in 2017 and remains listed in that role on the company's official website.

5. Charlotte Casiraghi, Monaco

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Charlotte Casiraghi, the daughter of Monaco's Princess Caroline, was named the brand ambassador and spokesperson for Chanel last year. The 34-year-old is the niece of Prince Albert, and is 11th in the line of succession to Monaco's throne. Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and American actress Grace Kelly were her maternal grandparents. Before her role at Chanel, Casiraghi modelled for top brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

6. Zara Tindall, Britain

Zara Tindall at a Rolex event in Kentucky in 2017. Ashley Neuhof / Rolex

Zara Tindall, 39, is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and daughter of Britain's Anne, Princess Royal. However, she does not have a royal title and has spent her adult life pursuing a professional equestrian career.

In the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Tindall represented Team GB and won a silver medal. She did not qualify for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

She is married to rugby player Mike Tindall and the couple have three children, Mia Grace, 7, and Lena Elizabeth, 2, and Lucas Philip, who was born this week.

7. Peter Phillips, Britain 

Peter Phillips with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at a patron's lunch to celebrate her 90th birthday on June 12, 2016. Getty Images 

Peter Phillips, 43, is the elder brother of Zara Tindall, and is also a private citizen and not a working royal.

Phillips has had a number of jobs, including working for car manufacturer Jaguar and British Formula One motor racing team, Williams.

In 2005, he took on a role at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has since left to work as managing director at SEL UK Ltd, a "London-based sports and entertainment agency specialising in large scale event delivery, sponsorship and consultancy". SEL's London headquarters are located on Buckingham Palace Road, making his royal connection clear.

Interestingly, Phillips uses his royal status to make money. In January 2020, he featured in a Chinese commercial for Bright Food, advertising milk. In the video, he was described as a "British royal family member".

8. Princess Marie-Chantal, Greece

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The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, however, Princess Marie-Chantal is a princess of Denmark by marriage. Her husband is Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, a male-line descendant of Christian IX of Denmark.

Princess Marie-Chantal, 52, works in the fashion world. In 2000 she launched luxury childrenswear brand, Marie-Chantal. According to its LinkedIn page, she is founder and creative director.

9. Prince Philippos, Greece and Denmark

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Prince Philippos is the youngest child of King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark; Anne-Marie is the youngest sister of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II. He is the younger brother of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Princess Marie-Chantal's husband, and is named after Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. He is also the godson of the late Princess Diana.

Prince Philippos, 34, works in finance and has worked in New York City at Ortelius Capital Partners, "an alternative investment group specialising in hedge funds and private equity", since 2014. His LinkedIn currently lists him as an analyst at the company.

In 2020, he married Nina Flohr, daughter of Swiss billionaire Thomas Flohr.

10. King Willem-Alexander, Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands during the annual summer photocall at their residence in July 2020. Getty Images 

The most senior royal on our list is King Willem-Alexander, king of the Netherlands. He acceded to the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013. His mother is Beatrix of the Netherlands.

In 2017, it was revealed that avid pilot King Willem-Alexander had served as a first officer on KLM flights for 21 years, "even after his accession to the throne". It is said he was "rarely recognised" while in KLM uniform.