How to marry an actual real-life prince

Thanks to fairytales like Cinderella, countless little girls dream of marrying princes and becoming princesses - and Meghan Markle just made that a reality.

As it turns out, marrying a prince and living happily ever after is no longer a dream confined only to fairytales. We are now in a time in a more enlightened era of history where princes can choose their own brides, meaning if you’ve always fantasised about becoming a princess, you now have a chance.

We spoke to Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator and royalty expert, who helped us come up with these eight rules for finding your own prince charming.

1. Finding a prince to marry

If you dream of one day becoming a princess, then you must first find a prince to marry. The most important step on this list because “now is the time for the budding princes to be to looking around for love,” Mr Fitzwilliams shared with us two suggestions for finding a prince to snag. The first is rather fool-proof, but requires a mutual friend or shared connection between you and your future betrothed.

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If you don’t have a mutual friend with royalty on speed-dial, Mr Fitzwilliams suggests high profile events like the Olympics. Individual royals will be in attendance to represent their countries, and you may just happen to bump into your future husband.

While there have been instances where princes have met their future brides at random places such as a rock concert, Mr Fitzwilliams insists "these chance meetings are pure luck and you shouldn’t rely on them if you are serious about your endeavour."

According to Mr Fitzwilliams, commoners-turned-princesses come from various backgrounds, and there is no one occupation that makes you more likely to become a princess. That being said, there have been multiple former actresses who have married into royalty, including: film star Rita Hayworth who married Prince Aly Khan, Olivia Wilde, who was briefly married to Italian prince Tao Ruspoli, and Grace Kelly who married the prince of Monaco.

Meghan Markle will be the latest to join the ranks of actresses turned royalty.

However, you should stay clear of occupations that may be considered distasteful - although Sweden had no problem when Prince Carl Philip married former reality TV star and topless dancer Sofia Hellqvist, other royal families may have been less accepting of the princess’s past. Take for example Prince Andrew who made headlines and drew criticism when he briefly dated soft-core erotic film actress, Kathleen “Koo” Stark.

3. Be tactful, poised, and demure - but also have a sense of humour

Always the picture perfect example of how to behave like a princess, Kate Middleton seems like she was born for the royal lifestyle. Mr Fitzwilliams said, "Princess Kate is perfect at it. She is very consistent and totally reliable, but also has a sense of humour, which she used to capture Prince William's attention." He reminded us that Princess Kate met Prince William when he attended a fashion show she was walking in - dressed in a see-through dress- which brings us to our next point...

4. Have an understanding of fashion and style

While there will be people to help you once you’ve become a princess, dressing the part is an extremely important aspect of landing a prince. A future princess must know what is appropriate attire for a variety of occasions and be able to draw only positive attention to her outfit choices. As a future princess, the world is watching, and it is important to make a good impression.

As a princess or future princess, "living in the age of social media, you must be exceptionally careful and discreet. You really have to make sure that stuff doesn't get leaked to the papers" because you do not want to make headlines for behaviour, online or otherwise, that could be considered inappropriate. Be aware of what you post online, as well as who you trust. Mr Fitzwilliams recommends posting nothing online that you wouldn’t want discovered later, as nothing can ruin a royal engagement faster than a scandal.

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6. Have an interest in charity

Many princes work with charities or organisations that deal with topics they feel strongly about. For example, Prince William and Prince Harry are admired for their considerable charitable work and dedication to helping others. If you want to capture a prince’s heart, it would be a good idea to be involved in charity or have an interest in the specific prince’s charity of choice. At the very least, a shared interest in charity means you already have something in common with your future prince.

7. Be ambitious but respectful

Snagging a prince is quite an achievement and one that could take years to accomplish, especially if you are a commoner. But if you are successful in capturing the heart of a prince, you must also be able to gain the respect and approval of the royal family. Positive relations with the King or Queen are essential to becoming a princess, reminds Mr Fitzwilliam, and so quite a bit of charm is necessary; "The way you behave will determine if your prince is able to marry you." That being said, you must also be aware and respectful of your status in the royal family. Being a successful princess means not competing with the prince but rather complementing him as his counterpart. "Do not compete with your prince for the spotlight."

Finally, once you have secured your title as the princess you must remember to be gracious. "If you have succeeded in winning the heart of a prince, wonderful, but remember there are those who won't have succeeded." You may have to deal with jealousy and pettiness, and you must make sure you do so with grace and understanding.

While marrying a prince and becoming a princess is certainly possible, "although luck does play a huge part in it," Mr. Fitzwilliam wants to stress to would-be princesses that "winning a prince certainly comes at a price" and that "being a princess is a hell of a job." But, you do get to wear a tiara.