The Real Reason Olivia Wilde Used To Be A Princess

Beyoncé is widely recognized as a prominent figure in Hollywood, but an interesting fact is that she shares a family connection with Queen Elizabeth. According to CBS News, Beyoncé is Queen Elizabeth’s 25th cousin, once removed, and they both trace their lineage back to Henry II. Another celebrity with royal ties is the former teen star Hilary Duff, who is reportedly the Queen of England’s 18th cousin. Her connection can be traced through her “gateway ancestor” Alexander Spotswood, who is the 10th great-grandson of King Edward III. Additionally, there is a possibility that she may also have a connection to Catherine Car, who historians believe could be the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII. Quite fascinating, isn’t it?

However, some celebrities, like Olivia Wilde, entered into marriages with royalty but subsequently lost their royal title after divorce. Prior to her relationship with Harry Styles, Wilde was married to an Italian prince.

Olivia Wilde was once married to Italian royalty

Before her relationships with Jason Sudeikis (from whom she separated in November 2020) and her current boyfriend, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde was previously married to filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, who has ties to Italian royalty as the son of the late Italian Prince Dado Ruspoli, thereby making him a prince as well.

As reported by Us Weekly, Wilde and Ruspoli decided to elope when she was just 18 years old. Their wedding was a far cry from the extravagant ceremonies often associated with royalty, as they exchanged their vows inside an abandoned school bus. In Olivia Wilde’s own words, “The bus was the only place we could be completely alone.” The wedding was a closely guarded secret, and they wanted to hold it in a location where they could be discreet with their closest friends. Their focus was on the intimacy of the commitment they were making. They were married from 2003 to 2011, which means that during those years, Wilde technically held the title of a princess.

However, she never really identified as a royal in any case. She mentioned, “I never call myself [a princess]. I occasionally get mail that says ‘Principessa.'” She characterized herself as “fortunate” to be embraced by such a “fascinating family.” She went on to say, “How many people get to say ‘This castle has been in our family since the 1400s’?” We would venture to say, not many.

Olivia Wilde and Tao Ruspoli had an unconventional relationship

Although Olivia Wilde and Tao Ruspoli’s relationship didn’t culminate in a fairy-tale ending, it’s evident that they held genuine affection for one another. The star of “House M.D.” revealed that what captivated her about Ruspoli was the sense of adventure he brought into her life.

She shared with Women’s Health that people had certain expectations when it came to him because of his royal status, but he defied those expectations by rolling up in an old Thunderbird, dressed in flip flops and with wild hair. She mentioned how some were surprised, saying, “He’s a prince?” However, she described experiencing a wave of romantic excitement and an overpowering feeling that they were destined to become a family. They chose not to burden their relationship with “pressure” but rather let it evolve naturally, accepting wherever it led them. Despite their diverse upbringings, they shared a common love for art. Wilde explained their shared mission: “We’re from completely different worlds, but we have the same mission: to bring film and art together with some sort of political activism.”

While Wilde wasn’t particularly enamored with the royal lifestyle, she found amusement in the connections of her former father-in-law with some of the world’s most renowned figures. In an interview with GQ, she mentioned, “Dado was friends with the Stones, with the Dalai Lama, orgies with Brando, all these people. We have pictures of him bathing in pitchers of Bordeaux.”