While Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pack up their jam-packed Montecito mansion, their California neighbors are reportedly “thrilled” to see their high-profile neighbors vamoose.
But just because the British royals caused some traffic jams due to their Netflix crews and high-demand security needs doesn’t mean that all American-based aristocrats are a pain in the royal buttress.
In fact, just like the 26-year-old car salesman who became a Belgium prince this week, many of these blue-blooded U.S. citizens are working in normal offices, living in modest suburban homes and raising their children like regular kids who go to school and sports practice instead of a gleaming TV studio.
Raiyah Bint Al Hussain
Take Raiyah Bint Al Hussain, the 40-year-old daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and his beloved wife Queen Noor, born Lisa Najeeb Halaby.
After graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a master’s degree in Japanese Studies, the princess moved to the Upper West Side to study at Columbia University.
Now based in Los Angeles, she is currently listed as a doctoral student at UCLA, with a fluency in Arabic, English and Japanese, and a proficiency in Mandarin.
Dorian Neumann von Héthárs
Also in California: Dorian Neumann von Héthárs, the daughter of late baronet John Neumann Ritter von Héthárs, a member of Austro-Hungarian nobility who married the model and dancer Monica Ann Ford, who once toured with the legendary Nina Simone.
Today, Neumann runs Neu Breath, a healing center in Los Angeles focused on mind-body fusion, with a special focus on pregnancy, birth and recovery for new mothers.
Prince Joel David Makonnen Haile Selassie
In Washington, D.C., Prince Joel David Makonnen Haile Selassie runs Wax and Gold, a media and entertainment firm “focused on powerful Black stories that inspire global audiences.”
He is the descendent of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I and a graduate of both American University and Howard University’s School of Law. (He is also a Knicks fan, making this prince a low-key king of New York.)
Theodora Greece
If you think this princess of Greece and Denmark looks familiar, you’re right: This 43-year-old daughter of deposed Greek king Constantine II and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark, is also a soap star.
For the past 15 years, the royal blonde has been playing scheming secretary Alison Montgomery on the long-running soap opera, “The Bold and the Beautiful.” She married lawyer Matthew Kumar in 2024, months before she finally obtained official Greek citizenship.
In March, the actress pulled the ultimate “real girl” move by showing up to a red carpet wearing a polka dot dress from Zara that originally sold for $109. (It looked amazing.)
Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse
Meanwhile, New York lawyer Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, 45, has a life that just sounds like a soap opera. Born to Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his then-queen Sujarinee, the Mount Vernon resident was exiled with his family as a teenager in 1996 after accusations of adultery swept the kingdom.
He moved to Florida with his family and got a job selling hot dogs at NASCAR races. He later graduated from George Washington University’s law school and returned to Thailand in 2023 to visit hospitals and help establish an advocacy fund for Thai students based in the states. He is also an ordained Buddhist monk.
Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
Also on the east coast, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, 68, holds court at local New York foodie haunts like Il Posto Accanto and Indochine. A trained gemologist who worked as the senior vice president of jewelry at Sotheby’s, he now creates intricate pieces fusing precious stones with polished wood.
In 2020, he published the jewelry guide “Once Upon a Diamond” with writer Lavinia Branca Snyder that explores the royal gem stashes of various European empires.
Victoria de Lesseps
She’s our favorite royal psychic medium — but don’t call her Queen of the Dead. (Please.)
Instead, Victoria de Lesseps, 31, is best known as the daughter of “Countess” Luann de Lesseps, who married into a French diplomatic family and became a Real Housewife… and a chart-topper, thanks to the kooky 2010 club chant, “Money Can’t Buy You Class.”
Now a psychic medium and spirit healer living in Sag Harbor, the New Yorker is currently at work on her first fantasy novel while offering her services as a life coach and intuit online.
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