Across the world’s constitutional monarchies, the title of princess is formally restricted to specific female relatives of reigning monarchs, notably legitimate daughters and granddaughters in the male line. Today’s recognized princesses include members of the Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and British royal families, each holding their status by birth or marriage under strict royal house rules. This evergreen explainer clarifies who is legitimately called a princess now, how styles and legal frameworks differ, and which women can be confirmed by verifiable public records as real princesses in the modern era.
How the Title ‘Princess’ Is Defined Today
The modern use of the title princess depends on each country’s laws of royal succession, the reigning monarch’s prerogatives, and longstanding house traditions. In general, the label applies to:
- Legitimate daughters of a sovereign or a Crown Prince.
- Legitimate granddaughters of a sovereign when born to a male-line heir.
- Wives and certain female-line descendants where royal letters patent explicitly grant the style.
Not every monarch’s female relatives carry the title, and some dynasties reserve ‘princess’ for women married into the family rather than by birth. To qualify as a real princess today, a woman must be formally recognized in her monarchy’s published rules and listed in official court Circulars or government registries.
Current Princesses by Country
The following sections summarize women widely documented as holding the royal title of princess as of 2024, based on published court announcements, constitutional provisions, and reputable royal reference works.
Denmark
Princess Isabella of Denmark, born in 2007, is the younger daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. She carries the style ‘Her Royal Highness Princess Isabella of Denmark’ and is second in line to the throne behind her older brother Prince Vincent.
Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands maintains a smaller, clearly delineated group of princesses. Current examples include Princess Alexia, Princess Ariane, and Princess Beatrix (the former Queen), whose styles and succession rights are fixed by the Fundamental Law. Younger princesses are usually the unmarried daughters of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien.
Norway
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born in 2004, is the elder child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and holds the title of heir presumptive. She is styled ‘Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway.’ Her younger sister, Princess Sofia, also carries the princess title by birth.
Spain
As of the latest published Royal Decree and household information, the King’s two younger sisters remain princesses: Princess Elena and Princess Cristina. Both were born when their father was the Prince of Asturias (now late King Juan Carlos I) and retain their royal highnesses under house rules, even after marriage.
Sweden
Under Sweden’s 1980 Act of Succession, only the eldest child of the King and Queen can have a daughter who is a princess. This means Princess Estelle, daughter of Crown Princess Victoria, holds the title. The pool is intentionally narrow to preserve clarity in the line of succession.
United Kingdom
In Britain, the title princess is automatically granted to the sovereign’s daughter and to the daughter of the Prince of Wales. Examples include Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Princess Charlotte, the daughter of William, Prince of Wales, is also a princess by birth. Certain granddaughter titles are styled as ‘Lady’ rather than ‘Princess’ unless specifically elevated by letters patent.