When we think of the royal family, tattoos aren't necessarily what springs to mind. They tend to have a strict protocol when it comes to appearance, from makeup and jewellery to nail polish colour and even the shade of their tights. So, it comes as a huge surprise when royals show off an edgy inking, whether that's permanent or temporary.
Over the years, plenty of royals have shown off some nifty tattoos with Lady Amelia Windsor having several on her ribcage, left hand, and wrists, and Princess Sofia famously showed off the sun tattoo between her shoulder blades on her wedding day. See which royals have been tempted by tattoos…
Princess Eugenie
© GettyRoyal fans spotted Princess Eugenie's subtle tattoo as she attended the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The small, circular ink is subtle and elegant, positioned behind the left ear of the Queen's granddaughter.
The Princess of Wales
© Getty ImagesShocked? Don’t be. We’re not about to tell you Kate has a constellation of stars up her spine, but she has been partial to semi-permanent inking. In February 2018, while seven-months pregnant with Louis, the Princess received a small henna tattoo while marking the opening of a new artist’s residence in Sunderland. Wonder how it faded so fast? Henna is a natural dye that only lasts around one to four weeks.
Meghan Markle
© Getty ImagesDuring the royal couple's trip to Morocco in 2019, Meghan was given a henna tattoo by teenager Samira who has lived in Asni for six years - the henna flower was created on Meghan’s right hand to celebrate her pregnancy as per Moroccan tradition. Samira explained: "It is a traditional practice for pregnant women in Morocco. It is to bring luck for the baby."
© Getty ImagesWhen the artwork was completed, Meghan said: "That’s really lovely," and proudly showed it to husband Prince Harry, who was sitting next to her. Meghan added: "It will dry for a little bit and then we can walk through."
Lady Amelia Windsor
© GettySomething of an it-girl, Lady Amelia Windsor is the granddaughter of the Queen's cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and isn’t shy of expressing her personal style. Inked in more places than one, the stylish royal showed off her rib-cage tattoo while attending the Serpentine Summer Party. She also has tattoos on each of her wrists and a tiger on her left-hand shoulder blade.
Queen Camilla
Yes, it's Camilla with a tattoo! While in Zanzibar back in 2011 with her husband Prince Charles, the Queen Consort visited a henna tattooist and had her own ink creation painted on her hand. The royal couple were on a four-day trip to Tanzania to highlight environmental issues in Africa.
Prince Frederik of Denmark
© GettyThe heir to the Danish throne, Prince Frederik will become King with two tatts but it's something that's not unusual in his family. His grandfather, King Frederik IX, who ruled Denmark from 1947 to his death in 1972 had tattoos of dragons and birds on his torso. Why? Because, just like Prince Frederik, who has a shark on his calf and a tattoo on his arm that means ‘pingu’, the chosen symbols are used to represent their time served in the Danish Navy.
Princess Sofia of Sweden
© GettyBefore marrying Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, who is fourth in line to the Swedish throne, Princess Sofia worked as a glamour model and reality television star. After getting together with her future husband she wasn't just going to erase her tattoos because she was becoming royal. Quite right, too.
On her wedding day, a sun between her shoulder blades was visible and on a holiday a few years, she revealed a large tattoo of a flying butterfly on her ribcage. She also has a minute inking on her ankle and is said to have previously had a motif on her arm.
CELEB TATTOOS: A look at the stars' inkings
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
The youngest daughter of American actress Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, Princess Stéphanie was lovingly called 'wild child' by her mother when she was growing up. After her mother was killed in a car accident in 1982, while Stéphanie was riding with her, she reportedly grew more rebellious and opted for several tattoos including a floral bracelet, two jumping dolphins on her foot and a motif on her back. "I realised how lucky I was to have life," Stéphanie later said in an interview. "I had my arms open to the future and I said to myself, 'This could be all over tomorrow.' Nobody has really tried to understand me or my behaviour, which just reflected my decision to enjoy life to the full."
Pauline Ducruet
Pauline Ducruet is the daughter of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and is 14th in line to the Monegasque throne. Like mother, like daughter she’s also partial to visiting the tattoo parlour and has a floral motif on her wrist too. A daisy to be precise. She also has a small circle inked on the inside of her left ear.
Charlotte Casiraghi
When Monaco's Charlotte Casiraghi arrived to attend a Gucci event she wore a crop top that unveiled the star tattoo on her stomach.
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