Princess Charlene's Struggles Mirror Grace Kelly's In An Eerie Way

Before marrying into the Grimaldi family, both Grace Kelly and Princess Charlene were successful careerwomen in their own right. Grace, for one, spent the years before her marriage working as an actress in Hollywood. During this time, the bombshell blond appeared in one hit film after another, starring in serious pieces, like Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and even winning an Oscar for her role in the 1954 drama, "The Country Girl."

A generation later, Charlene's strong professional background, in many ways, mirrored that of her predecessor. Like Grace, Charlene made a name for herself, although as a competitive swimmer, rather than an actress. She even represented South Africa in the 2000 Olympics, where she came in fifth in the 4 x 100 meters medley relay. 

Although Grace and Charlene's respective careers would be celebrated in some circles, their professional pasts hardly made them "princess material." As noted in 9Honey, commoners often struggle to marry into European royal families, especially when they hail from professional — rather than high society — worlds. As royal correspondent, Maddison Leach, explained: "Many of the most successful royal spouses come from upper-class backgrounds." Moreover, these people tend to be "high-born" and "far closer to the royal world they married into than their 'commoner' counterparts." Ultimately, this means that career girls, like Grace and Charlene, are viewed as "too common" to be adequately prepared for royal life.