Royals Are Allowed To Have Tattoos & Here's Who Has Them
Being a royal is a full-time job where you live under tight security and follow tons of rules. From who can wear a tiara to bathroom etiquette, a royal's life is spent memorizing and observing endless rules, some of which don't even make sense to the general public. However, one thing that royals seem to be allowed to do is to get inked. "The trend [for royals] seems to be for smaller tattoos in hidden places. I imagine it's probably still not easy for them to have tattoos in visible areas, and in my opinion, this is because in certain groups of society, tattoos are still not fully accepted," explained celebrity tattoo artist Claudio Traina (via Hello!).
People get tattoos for a myriad of reasons ranging from self-expression to impulsiveness. Tattoos are displays of personal styles and are reminders of rebellions, traditions, and cultures. For some people, tattoos are a way of commemorating important life experiences — such as a way to celebrate a first child or to mark what a person was experiencing at a certain time in their life.
For others, tattoos are a way to boost self-esteem, feel beautiful, or increase sex appeal. Whatever the motivation, tattoos are a work of art and everyone should get the chance to make the personal choice of whether to get one. While society is yet to accept tattoos in general, it's a relief to see some royals proudly sporting them.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York. While Catherine, Princess of Wales, Megan Markle, and Camila, Queen Consort have been spotted with temporary henna tattoos, Princess Eugenie is the only major British royal family member who has been spotted with a visible permanent tattoo.
Princess Eugenie has a tiny circular tattoo inked right behind her left ear. The design is simple, elegant and, if we might say it, royal. The tattoo made its public debut during the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of her late grandmother on June 3, 2022.
While the princess hasn't made any public statements about her tattoo, reports suggest that the circle is in fact a representation of the Sovereign's Orb, a symbol of the monarch's power (via Gawker). Furthermore, other speculations around the tattoo and its meanings say that the princess got herself marked with the circle to honor her grandmother (via Harper's Bazaar).
Lady Amelia Windsor
The daughter of Earl and Countess of St. Andrews, and 42nd in succession to the British throne, Lady Amelia Windsor is more than just a royal family member. She is a model, sustainable fashion activist, and youth icon. From philanthropy to being a style idol, the 27-year-old royal is "exactly the kind of outspoken and convention-defying woman that the royals need in their ranks this century" (via Elle).
According to Hello!, Lady Amelia Windsor has a couple of tattoos. In early 2021, she shared a picture of her eye-catching tiger tattoo on her back and captioned it: "Tiger's always got my back" (via Instagram). She has also proudly displayed her rib cage tattoo spotting two delicate leaves while fulfilling her duties as a socialite. She also has ink designs on her wrists. Lady Windsor's tattoos are love letters to her cool, bold, and defying attitude.
According to celebrity tattoo artist Claudio Traina, the tiger tattoo has some hidden meanings: "Tattoo meanings are down to the individual, however, tigers are meant to symbolise power and strength, freedom and independence. Perhaps this is in keeping with Lady Amelia not conforming to royal norms and having a bold and unhindered tattoo- signifying her freedom to do as she chooses" (via Hello!).
King Frederick IX of Denmark
The 20th-century Danish monarch, King Frederick IX, was one of the most tattooed kings in modern European history. In 2020, the Danish broadcasting corporation DR took on the painstaking task of recreating the monarch's extensive tattoo collection in a three-dimensional plane. According to Inked, a team of historians studied every available piece of information, including visual and written depictions of King Frederick IX, and then approached tattoo artist Frank Rosenkilde to help recreate the tattoos for digital creation. Rosenkilde then hand-drew all of the king's tattoos.
"It was relatively difficult because there are only a few photographs and films in which (the King's tattoos) can be properly seen," explained historian Søren Dalager Ditlevsen (via Inked). The monarch's first tattoo was a 35-centimeter-long dragon in the Japanese style on his upper left arm. Historians claim that it was inked during the young prince's Asian tour. He also had a Siamese-style dragon on his lower arm and had multiple other tattoos, including his personal monogram and a sparrow (via DR). In a time when tattoos were associated with people living on the edges of society, the prince's tattoos raised eyebrows, but he was proud of his designs and never tried to hide them.
Princess Sofia of Sweden
Princess Sofia of Sweden, the wife of Prince Carl Philip, has also been inked a bunch of times. The princess has a sun symbol displayed on her back which was spotted on her wedding day in 2015. According to Hola!, apart from the intricate and elegant back tattoo, the princess also has a butterfly tattoo on her rib cage and a small design on her ankle. The inking also made headlines during the 2019 Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony which she wore along with her wedding day tiara. The mother of three modified her sparkling crown with blue stones matching her blue off-shoulder gown for the occasion.
Sun is the source of all life, and while the exact symbolism of a sun tattoo is subjective to the culture and traditions of the person sporting it, in general, a sun tattoo represents positivity, light, leadership, and healing. In some cultures, this can also signify fertility (via Glaminati).
Princess Stephanie of Monaco
Princess Stephanie of Monaco is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly. The original royal rebel of the House of Grimaldi has multiple inks. She was spotted with a floral bracelet and sun motif tattooed on her wrist way back in 1997 during the Gala for the Society of Protection for Animals in Monaco City. She also has two jumping dolphins tattooed on her left ankle which was pictured in 2000 at the Rally of Monte Carlo as well as a dragon motif on her back.
Traditionally, tattoo bracelets are made to attract good luck or strength. Floral bracelet tattoos specifically "emphasize the delicacy and special charm of their owners. ... The convenience of such tattoos is that despite their small size, they can make deep meaning" (via Tattoo Value). Ancient Greeks associated dolphins with physical love while these majestic water creatures also signify "aspirations and desires" (via Tattoo Value).
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, King Frederick IX of Denmark, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark has also been spotted with multiple inkings (via the Daily Mail). Being a defenseman himself, like his grandfather, Prince Frederik's tattoos pay homage to the time he spent in the Danish navy.
The prince has a shark tattoo on his calf, an insignia of the Danish navy's Frogman Corps which is speculated to be a tribute to his time in the Danish elite forces. "The Frogman Corps which is directly below the Danish Navy's Operational Command are an elite unit of professional divers and commandos that are tasked with assaulting enemy ships, advanced force and maritime anti-terrorism tasks amongst others" (via the Daily Mail). The second tattoo on his arm, reportedly, refers to his nickname, "Pingu" which was given to him after he completed the training to become a Frogman.
Pauline Ducruet of Monaco
Pauline Ducruet, the eldest daughter of Princess Stephanie of Monaco, is not your stereotypical royal. She grew up in a circus and is a professional diver who competed in multiple international sporting events, including the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. She studied at Parsons School of Design in New York, has interned at Vogue and Louis Vuitton, and now runs a gender-fluid fashion label called Alter (via South China Morning Post).
Like her famous rebel mother, Pauline Ducruet is also a fan of getting inked. According to People, she got her first tattoo at the age of 17, accompanied by her mother. Her tattoos include cursive writing on her right arm as well as a floral tattoo — seemingly a daisy. Unlike her mother's elaborate, intricately detailed tattoos, Ducruet's designs are minimalist and subtle. While the exact symbolism of a floral tattoo is based on the choice of the flora, minimalist flower tattoos in general "allows for the expression of the beauty, humility, loyalty" of the style (via Tatt Mag).
Camille Gottlieb of Monaco
The second daughter of Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Camille Gottlieb, showed her love of getting inked in an episode of the documentary "Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich" (via YouTube). The young royal — known for being the look-alike of her grandmother Grace Kelly — started getting tattooed at the age of 17. Accurately representing her love for tattoos, the interview was filmed in a tattoo studio while she was getting an image of a lion cub inked on her arm.
Gottlieb also has tattoos that are tributes to her dog Léonie, such as his name on her arm and a drawing of a hand and a paw on her left ankle (via Monaco Tribune). Although she is the daughter of Princess Stephanie, she is not in the line of succession to the throne because her parents had her out of wedlock. However, the stylish royal does her part to represent her family by running an anti-drink driving organization, Be Safe Monaco (via Hello Monaco).
Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco
Another granddaughter of Grace Kelly, Charlotte Casiraghi is the second child of Princess Caroline of Monaco and is 11th in line to the Monégasque throne. The trendsetting royal also shares a love for tattoos like many of her family members. A wearer of many hats, Casiraghi is a writer, journalist, model, equestrian, philanthropist, and movie producer (via Paris Match).
In 2014, Charlotte Casiraghi was spotted attending the Style and Competition for Amade on the third day of the Gucci Paris Masters in France. Dressed in high-fashion casuals and elegantly riding a horse, Casiraghi was spotted with winged eyeliner, braids, white hoops, jeans, a shimmering golden jacket, and a yellow crop top. At the event, she was pictured showing off a cluster of star tattoos on her stomach (via Getty Images). Star tattoos come under the umbrella of nautical tattoo designs which symbolize direction or a need for direction (via Tatt Mag).
King George V of Britain
King George V sat on the British throne from 1910 to 1936 and was one of the most popular kings in British reign, owing to the fact that his rule coincided with World War I. Although there is no photographic evidence, King George V actually had multiple tattoos. This was revealed during a 2019 exhibition at Buckingham Palace titled "Japan: Courts and Culture" (via My London).
In a diary entry featured during the exhibition, King George wrote: "We have spent a very pleasant week on shore up at Nara & Kioto, we saw a great deal in the time but we were not long enough, it was too hurried." His diary entry goes on to mention how he got more than one tattoo along with others who were touring with him. "Nearly every body on board has been tattooed. I have got a dragon on one arm done at Tokio & a tiger on the other arm done at Kioto," he wrote (via My London).