- Some royals have taken the unlikely path of pursuing regular jobs while keeping their identity secret.
- For example, British royal Sophie Winkleman didn't use her royal title when filming "Two and a Half Men."
- Meanwhile, Greece's Prince Nikolaos used a fake name while working at Fox News.
1. Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark used a fake name to work at Fox News, but his cover was blown when coworkers saw photos of his brother's wedding.
Prince Nikolaos, a photographer and environmental activist, was born into the Greek royal family shortly before the monarchy was abolished in 1974.
The royal dabbled in various professions before he became a photographer.
In 1995 he worked as a production assistant at Fox News in New York. He didn't want to be treated any differently because of his royal status, so he dropped his royal title and used a pseudonym.
"Nobody knew, apart from the director of course. It was great, I was treated just like anybody else," Nikolaos previously told Insider.
However, photos of Nikolaos at his brother Crown Prince Pavlos' royal wedding soon got back to the newsroom and his coworkers discovered who he was.
"When they found out, they had formed their opinion of me, good or bad, one way or the other, but it wasn't influenced by my background. Which is how it should be," Nikolaos added.
2. Nigeria's Prince Kunle left royal life behind to start his own TV network.
Prince Adekunle "Kunle" Adebayo Omilana of Nigeria launched the now-defunct Inspiration TV, the first-ever 24-hour Christian TV network in Europe more than 20 years ago.
Kunle, who is now the CEO of Wonderful Media in London, rarely uses his royal title in his business or personal ventures. His name is simply "Kunle Omilana" on his Linkedin page.
In fact, Kunle keeps his royal status so discreet that his now-wife, Princess Keisha, had no idea who he was when they met. She didn't find out until two years later, when she met his mother, who called her "my princess."
"And when you hear, 'princess,' well, all moms call their daughters princess," Keisha previously told Insider. "So that's what I thought she was saying. But then we sat down and she told me the story of who her son was, what his name means, where he comes from, and I was just like 'oh my goodness.'"
3. Bulgaria's Princess Miriam is a jewelry designer — and the clients who purchase her $5,600 tiaras have no idea she's royal.
Miriam, Princess of Turnovo is a member of the Bulgarian royal family through her marriage to the late Prince Kardam, who was heir to the throne.
Miriam was a jewelry designer and gemologist long before she entered the royal family. When she launched her brand, MdeU, in 2014, she used her maiden name — de Ungría — instead of her royal status to promote it.
Miriam's brand is known for a variety of items, including tiaras. There's the Tiara of Roses, a $3,200 (€2,750) design that you can purchase in silver, rose gold, or rhodium, and the $5,664 (€ 4,775) Tiara Clover, a four-leaf clover design that is popular among brides.
Miriam previously told Insider that it's unlikely her clients know about her royal status, saying: "People know me by Miriam de Ungría."
4. Prince Rostislav describes himself on Instagram as a "Russian artist" with no mention of his royal heritage or title.
Prince Rostislav Romanov is a descendant of the Russian royal family, who were executed during the Russian Revolution in 1918.
He describes himself on Instagram as an "artist who strives to capture the beauty and strangeness of the world and beyond." He does not use his royal title on the social media platform.
"Sometimes I think that the surviving Romanoffs are the world's best-kept secret – I have been told so many times that the Romanoff family have all perished during the Revolution," the prince previously told Insider.
"I do not shy away from my title, but it is rather obvious with my surname, either there is a history there, or a pretension. I like the idea that it's up to each individual to follow the breadcrumbs and piece together the story," he added.
5. "Two and a Half Men" actress Sophie Winkleman kept her maiden name when she married into the British royal family.
British actress and activist Sophie Winkleman married Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin Prince Michael, in 2009.
The couple moved to LA the day after their ceremony, where Winkleman pursued various acting opportunities. She landed a role opposite Ashton Kutcher in "Two and a Half Men" in 2011.
Winkleman previously told Insider that nobody in Hollywood knew she was a royal because she kept her maiden name.
"People in my business in America didn't know anything about it, because they'd just see 'Sophie Winkleman' on the sheet and I'd go and do the audition and then get the job or not," Winkleman said. "And they didn't find anything out about me. They just knew me from my acting, which was quite important to me."
6. British comedian Naz Osmanoglu is an Ottoman prince, but he doesn't use his title when performing.
His Imperial Highness Prince Nazim Osmanoglu — who goes by Naz for short — is a member of Turkey's former ruling family, who were exiled from the country in 1924 after the Ottoman Empire was abolished.
However, most of his fans aren't aware of his royal status. Naz, who grew up in Dubai and the UK, is an actor, comedian, and TikTok star.
"In a way, my stage name is not being a prince. I'm only known as a prince off stage," he previously told Insider.
"I always thought it would get in the way. I thought introducing myself as 'Prince Nazim Ziyaeddin Nazim Osmanoglu' was a bit much, so I didn't do it," he added.
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