Royals Who Have Side Hustles To Make More Money

As far as most people know, royals don't have jobs. They have duties, of course. In recent years, however, it has become clear that this is not necessarily true. Sure, royals step out for engagements as they remain in the line of succession. However, they don't have to limit themselves to promoting causes and supporting several patronages on behalf of their crown.

Instead, some royals choose to live a life that doesn't necessarily revolve around royal duties. Whether this was out of necessity or a personal choice, some of today's royals have been thriving well financially outside of established duchies or government-funded allowances. That's because they've picked up successful side hustles that have the potential to earn them more money. And while money is no object for a lot of them, they work hard to earn as much as possible nonetheless, if only to support the causes that matter to them most.

Rania, Queen Consort of Jordan may be a busy humanitarian and mother, but she still finds time to write books for children on the side. It all started with "The King's Gift," which the queen wrote as a tribute to the late King Hussein. The book was released in Arabic and English on the first anniversary of the king's death. "The King's Gift" was also made available across public schools in Jordan. Years later, Queen Rania also released her second book, "Eternal Beauty," which was written in celebration of Mother's Day. The queen also quickly followed up with the release of her next book, "Maha of the Mountains." The story was inspired by Queen Rania's own encounter with a young Arab woman.

Queen Rania also later wrote her most personal work yet, the children's book entitled "The Sandwich Swap," which was co-written by children's book author Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Tricia Tusa. The story was inspired by Queen Rania's own experience at nursery school where she tried a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first time. Proceeds from the book's sale support the queen's public school initiative in Jordan.

Long before ascending to the British throne, King Charles III devoted himself to a life of service. When the king is not holding meetings or supporting causes, he is busy pursuing his side job of writing books under the pen name Charles III.

Some of the king's books are inspired by Highgrove, the private residence that he shares with Camilla, Queen Consort. He also published a book that showcased several watercolor paintings inspired by the king's love of the countryside. Over the years, King Charles has also written books on green living, gardening, and sustainable farming. In addition, the king has also co-written the book "Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World," which discusses the challenges posed by climate change.

More recently, King Charles also co-wrote another book on climate change intended to appeal to children. During an interview with the BBC, Tony Juniper, the king's co-author, said that Charles was inspired by how passionate young people have become in tackling climate change. He also wanted to personally reach out to these youngsters through this book. Meanwhile, it remains unclear how the proceeds from the sale of Charles' books are utilized or whether it is classified as his personal income.

As the late Queen Elizabeth II's oldest grandson, Peter Phillips is currently 18th in the line of succession. While he does appear in certain public engagements, the royal has done several stints working for some of the world's top companies such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Jaguar, and the Williams F1 racing team. Phillips also served as the managing director of sports management company SEL UK, which organized some of the biggest events in the U.K., including the Patron's Lunch in 2016, a street party in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. Though he didn't use his royal connections to secure a contract for the event, Phillips came under scrutiny after it emerged that SEL UK was paid a lot more than what the event managed to raise for charity.

Phillips later resigned from the company in 2022. Since then, the royal has quietly made a return to the world for F1, heading up acquisitions for CSM Sport & Entertainment where he is employed part-time.

Zara Tindall is one of the most beloved British royals today, having become known for pursuing equestrian sports on the side, just like her mother, Princess Anne, had done in the past. Over the years, the royal has been a prominent presence in the equestrian world, winning the Under 25 Championship at Bramham and coming in second place in the European Young Riders Championship in 2002. Years later, Tindall would also go on to compete at the 2012 London Olympics where her team would win a silver medal. While the Olympic medalist is not ruling out competing in the Olympics again, she believes that her chances would depend on several factors, including having the right horse.

In the meantime, Zara Tindall makes a living by competing in several equestrian events around the world. Over the years, she has also secured several lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Rolex, Land Rover, and many others. Additionally, she's been appointed racecourse director of the Cheltenham Racecourse, although this is a non-executive role.

Much like his wife, Mike Tindall is well known in the sports world, having been a rugby union player until 2014 when he announced his retirement. Since then, he has dabbled in a lot of things as he and Zara tried to balance side hustles with family life and royal appearances. For a time, Tindall served as a brand ambassador for trading firm UFX Markets, although it's believed that they parted ways just before UFX got embroiled in a major lawsuit. Meanwhile, both Tindall and his wife also became brand ambassadors to British cyber security firm VST Enterprises in 2020.

Tindall has also since landed other gigs, including the podcast "The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby" where he serves as one of the hosts alongside fellow England legend James Haskell and broadcaster Alex Payne. The three men also recently launched Blackeye, which is their very own brand of London dry gin. Aside from this, Tindall has also become quite the reality competition star, having joined the cast of the British reality show "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here." While Tindall didn't need to ask permission to do the show, he did reveal on his podcast (via People) that he told Prince William about it as a courtesy.

Following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, Sarah Ferguson has worked to secure various side gigs for herself, which range from endorsement deals to bestseller books. Back in 1997, Weight Watchers announced Ferguson as its latest endorser. The partnership would also result in the release of several dieting and healthy eating books. These include the 1998 book "Dining and Dieting with The Duchess: Secrets & Tips for a Healthful New Lifestyle" and the 2002 book "Energy Breakthrough: Jump-Start Your Weight Loss and Feel Great."

Ferguson also eventually ventured into children's literature, penning books such as the "Little Red" series, the "Budgie" series, "Tea for Ruby," and "Ballerina Rosie." At the same time, the duchess released a memoir entitled "Finding Sarah." In recent years, Ferguson has also been interested in adult fiction, writing historical romance books "Her Heart for a Compass" and "A Most Intriguing Lady." During an interview with the Independent, Ferguson also revealed that she already has plans for a third novel, which will focus on female detectives solving cases in the Victorian era.

Once named by Tatler as "the most beautiful member of the royal family," Lady Amelia Windsor has worked on being a force for good in the fashion scene as a side hustle. In recent years, Windsor has also become a huge fan of merging style with sustainability. While speaking with Hello!, the royal revealed that the idea came to her after taking some courses during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, Windsor has launched several collaborations with various sustainable fashion brands.

Among them is a partnership with London brand Alexander Clementine where Windsor designed an underwear line that is made with seaweed. As such, the underwear is also naturally rich in various vitamins and minerals that are absorbed into the skin. Moreover, a mangrove tree would also be planted with every purchase of underwear. In addition, Windsor also collaborated with British brand BEEN London, designing the Mel x BEEN London limited edition crossbody bag that is made with recycled leather and used clothing. The royal also recently designed a shoe collection for the popular flat footwear brand Pretty Ballerinas.

As the daughter of Princess Caroline of Hanover, Charlotte Casiraghi was born into royalty. Her mother's close relationship with the late Karl Lagerfeld meant that Casiraghi had also known Chanel her entire life. So, it didn't really come as a surprise when the fashion house announced the Monégasque royal as its newest brand ambassador, making her debut at the launch of Chanel's 2021 Spring/Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear Collection.

For Casiraghi, Chanel has always been more than a gig especially as she herself formed a strong bond with Lagerfeld when he was still alive. While speaking with Alain Elkann Interviews, the royal revealed that she and the celebrated designer shared a love of books and often talked about philosophy. This has also inspired Casiraghi to organize the Chanel Literary Rendezvous, which holds four to five events every year. These events aim to host a conversation around the works of women writers.

As a member of the Greek royal family, Princess Maria-Olympia gets to have a royal title without being subject to royal duties since Greece's regime abolished the monarchy in 1973. For the princess, that also meant that she was free to take on as many side gigs as she could, which is why she ventured straight into the world's fashion scene. It began with an internship for Christian Dior Couture in Paris where Princess Maria-Olympia was tasked with putting shoes on models. Later on, the Greek-Danish royal starred in a fashion campaign herself, headlining Michael Kors' "The Walk" campaign alongside Solange Knowles.

More recently, Princess Maria-Olympia has also become a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton where she currently stars in the French fashion house's Capucine bag campaign. During an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the princess also shared that all her fashion gigs have inspired her to launch her own fashion company someday.

Ahead of her wedding to shaman Durek Verrett, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has already decided to step down from official royal duties, although she will continue to do some public engagements. Outside of this, she is also available to take on several side projects. Throughout her life, she's always known to pursue her many passions. For instance, Märtha Louise has been active in equestrian sports just like other royals, even representing the Norwegian national team in showjumping in the past. The princess also helps run Hest360, a YouTube channel that's all about riders and horses.

In addition, Princess Märtha Louise has been involved in producing programs for children and promoting Norwegian fairy tales on Norwegian television. She has also written a couple of books including the children's fiction "Why Kings And Queens Don't Wear Crowns" and the inspirational book "The Spiritual Password: Learn to Unlock Your Spiritual Power."

As a member of the royal house of Denmark, Prince Joachim still receives a monthly government allowance. Nonetheless, the royal has also pursued other side income opportunities especially after his mother, Queen Margrethe, decided to strip his children of their prince and princess titles as part of her plans to slim down the monarchy.

Amid strained relations with his family, Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, have recently moved to Washington D.C. where the prince is now serving as a defense industry attaché at the Danish embassy. In this role, Prince Joachim is expected to strengthen Denmark's defensive alliance with both the U.S. and Canada. The prince also previously had the same job at the Danish embassy in Paris where he also obtained military education. According to the Danish Ministry of Defense, Prince Joachim's latest stint will last three years. There is also an option to extend the royal's contract.

As the Netherlands' reigning monarch, one might assume that King Willem-Alexander wouldn't have time to pick up a part-time gig. But that's exactly what this royal has done, and he's even managed to keep this side job going for many years now.

Aside from serving his country and supporting his many causes, King Willem-Alexander also enjoys flying. It seems his love affair with planes began in the '80s when he obtained both his private pilot's license and commercial pilot's license. Later on, in 2001, the king also earned his airline transport pilot license. Since then, the royal landed a stint as a guest pilot for KLM Cityhopper to allow him to practice flying regularly on the government plane or the Fokker 70 from the airline's fleet. That said, it is unclear if the king has ever received payment for his commercial flights. Meanwhile, King Willem-Alexander has also obtained a license to fly the Boeing 737, which has replaced KLM Cityhopper's Fokker 70s in recent years.

With the Greek monarchy abolished, Prince Nikolaos was essentially free to pursue several side jobs. After graduating from college, the royal decided to take a small job as a production assistant at Fox News where he used a pseudonym to make sure he didn't get recognized or receive any preferential treatment. For a time, it worked until photos of Prince Nikolaos attending the royal wedding of his brother Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece in 1995 surfaced. While the gig only lasted for two years, the prince continues to treasure the experience, telling Insider, "I learned a lot, it was one of my favorite jobs. The worst paid job I've ever had in my life, but a very rewarding one."

Meanwhile, Prince Nikolaos has since pursued photography, staging exhibitions in London, Australia, Spain, Qatar, and Greece where he showcased his photos of nature and landscapes. For instance, his exhibit at the London Design Biennale 2021 featured Greek olive trees, which the prince believes are just as resilient as Greek people.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is second in line to the throne after her father Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway. While the princess is expected to take on more royal duties following her 18th birthday, it seems that she also isn't ready to let go of her side gig just yet.

Princess Ingrid happens to be an avid surfer and she's gotten quite good at the sport, although it's unclear if this has something to do with the surfing course gift certificate that the princess received in honor of her confirmation in 2019. Not long after, Princess Ingrid competed in the national junior championship and finished in first place. Though she already has more royal duties, the princess may still consider competing in the upcoming Olympic games in Paris in 2024. After all, playing professionally is somewhat of a family tradition. Her grandfather, King Harald, competed in the Olympics thrice.