Grimm Ending
Every little girl dreams of Prince Charming whisking her away to a life of luxury. Sound like a perfect fairy tale? Not for this poor Malaysian princess. In 2002, unidentified assailants kidnapped Hazliza Ishak, the beautiful former model and second wife of Prince Raja Jaafar of Malaysia, bound and strangled her, and threw her dead body off a waterfall. Police detained the prince’s first wife, Raja Nor, as a suspect for the slaying; Hazliza was more than forty years younger than Nor, and the two were known to quarrel often. However, three fishermen were ultimately charged and convicted of the murder, and sentenced to death. Conspiracy theorists still believe the disgruntled first wife assassinated her; the princess is Malaysia’s very own JFK.

The Princess and the Pusher
Unsavory marriages are common in royal families; after all, not many people can expect to live up to the high standards of royalty. But Prince Haakon of Norway encountered severe criticism after his 2001 marriage to single mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Hølby, whose baby daddy is a convicted drug dealer. She may not have the ideal past for a future queen, but Mette showed class and dignity befitting her rank when she addressed her nation and repented publicly for her youthful indiscretions.

Royal Circus Act
Prince Haakon’s bride may have incensed Norwegian conservatives, but Monaco’s Princess Stephanie wins first prize for having sleazy life partners. Grace Kelly’s self-proclaimed “wild child” has three children out of wedlock; two were fathered by her bodyguard, but the father of her youngest kid remains a mystery. If that weren’t enough to make her mother roll over in her grave, Stephanie married not one, but two, circus performers. In 2001, Stephanie fell in love with an elephant trainer, left the royal palace, and moved into a Swiss caravan with her children to lead the circus life. After that short-lived marriage ended, she wed a trapeze artist. Nine months later, he filed for divorce and Stephanie’s high-wire act came to an end … for now.

It’s a hard-knock life for princes and princesses, especially in the modern age of paparazzi, the Internet, and phone tapping. They can’t hide indiscretions as well, and their mistakes live on forever on Google. But the true mark of royalty is the ability to stare adversity in the face and become stronger. Maybe it’s because of the regal upbringing, but I have to admire such tenacity—unless, of course, Princess Stephanie decides to marry a third circus performer. Then again, she might find a second career in Cirque du Soleil.

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