The royal family with tattoos – and what the ink means
Strange style statements are not normally part of the royal dress code Megan Markle revealing she “softened” her wardrobe so as not to clash with senior relatives.
Even nail color is regulatedwith only natural-looking nails reportedly allowed at official royal events.
And it can be safely assumed that a tattoo would be strictly forbidden in the style guide, as well as popular royals Princess Eugenie have proudly displayed their ink at formal public events.
From the heir to the Danish throne with a shark tattoo to a glamorous British socialite sporting a tiger on her shoulder, it seems they are no longer taboo. Here we reveal the royals with some very interesting inks…
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie: The Duke of York’s youngest daughter showed off a small circle tattoo behind her ear during the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving
Prince Andrew’s youngest daughter wore her hair in loose curls and debuted a small circle tattoo behind her ear last year when she attended the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the Queen’s reign.
The black circle ink was also visible when she attended a vigil at Westminster Hall to pay her respects to her late grandmother, the Queen following her death last year.
While the princess – who is expecting her second child – has never revealed the meaning behind her tattoo, there has been some suggestion that it may represent the cycle of life and death, or it may symbolize perfection, wholeness and totality.
Although it is rare for British royals to have a tattoo, Eugenie succeeds her great-great-grandfather, King George V, who had a dragon and a tiger tattooed on his arms.
King George V, who reigned from 1910-1936, visited Japan in 1881 with his brother Prince Albert Victor when the couple were teenagers.
The tattoo was also visible just below the headband during a vigil at Westminster Hall as the princess paid her respects to the late queen following her death last September.
According to the tour’s official diary, compiled by their tutor, Reverend John Dalton, the princes had their arms tattooed while in Japan: Albert Victor with a pair of storks and George with a dragon and a tiger.
Prince George’s tattoos served as a midshipman aboard HMS Bacchante and were chosen to symbolize the East and the West.
He wrote in his diary, ‘We spent a very pleasant week ashore at Nara & Kyoto (sic), we saw much in that time, but we were not long enough, it was too rushed.
“Almost every body on board is tattooed. I had a dragon on one arm in Tokyo (sic) and a tiger on the other arm in Kyoto (sic).’
Lady Amelia Windsor
Lady Amelia Windsor: The Duke of Kent’s granddaughter was the first royal to publicly show off her tattoos
Lady Amelia Windsor, a model and granddaughter of the Queen’s cousin Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was the first member of the British Royal Family to publicly show off her tattoos.
The stylish socialite showed off a small design on her rib, a parade of three bear cubs on her wrist and a glimpse of a tanned tiger on her back as she wore a pink Chanel minidress to the Serpentine Gallery Summer Ball in 2018.
She told Elle that the bear cubs are a sweet tribute to the bond between herself and her two siblings – Lady Marina and Edward Windsor.
She has a parade of three bear cubs on her forearm as a tribute to her bond with her two siblings – Lady Marina and Edward Windsor
The stylish model and socialite also has a tiger on her back and a delicate design tattooed on her side
“One is of three bear cubs, representing my brother, sister and I, because we saw three cubs in Canada when we were really little and thought they were us on the beach,” she said. “It was truly a magical moment.”
Grant Harrold, who is known as The Royal Butler, previously told FEMAIL: ‘Lady Amelia Windsor is not a senior royal or princess.
“As we know, she’s not even in the top 30 in line for the throne, so she’ll be aware that she can get away with personal choices like tattoos or modeling for international fashion houses.”
Princess Sofia of Sweden
Princess Sofia of Sweden: The royal family has sported tattoos on a number of formal occasions, including a sunburst
Sofia proudly showed off her back tattoo on her wedding day to Prince Carl Philip in 2015
The princess has a small tattoo on her ankle, but a tattoo on her arm has reportedly been removed
Princess Sofia of Sweden showed off the sunburst tattoo on the top of her back during her wedding to Prince Carl Philip in 2015.
She has proudly displayed the ink on many formal occasions, including at the 2019 Nobel Prize ceremony.
The princess also has a butterfly on her ribcage and a discreet tattoo on her ankle, but she reportedly had a tattoo removed on her arm following her engagement to Carl Philip.
Pauline Ducruet
Pauline Ducruet: The niece of Prince Albert II of Monaco has shown off some inking, including on her left forearm and her right ear
Following the example of her mother, Princess Stéphanie, who has several tattoos, Pauline also has a daisy on her right forearm
Diver, designer and niece of Prince Albert II of Monaco, adventurous Pauline Ducruet has publicly sported some bold tattoos.
Her inking includes a daisy on her right forearm, a delicate design on her wrist and writing on the inside of her left arm, as well as a small tattoo on the top of her ear.
Pauline has previously spoken candidly about her unconventional childhood, living in a caravan with a traveling circus after her mother Princess Stéphanie eloped with an elephant trainer.
She explained to the Sunday Telegraph that while her childhood was “random,” traveling around the world also brought her “pure freedom.”
Princess Stephanie of Monaco
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco: The youngest daughter of actress Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco has shown off a number of tattoos, including on her back
She has also shown off an elaborate wrist tattoo on her right arm which goes together with a ring tattooed on her finger
Pauline clearly followed the example of her mother Princess Stéphanie, the youngest daughter of actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, who often exposes her different inks.
The princess, who has been dubbed a “wild child,” has spent time as a model, swimwear designer and singer. She has a dragon tattooed on her upper back, a flower bracelet on her wrist and a ring tattooed on her finger.
17-year-old Stéphanie was in the car with her mother when they had an accident following a hairpin turn, which led to her mother’s death in 1982.
She was later hounded with false reports suggesting the princess was driving the car at the time of the crash.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
Crown Prince Frederik: The Danish royal family has shown off a tattoo on his arm and a shark on his lower leg
Crown Prince Frederik, heir to the Danish throne, has not tried to hide tattoos on his arm and an image of a shark on his calf.
The shark is the insignia of the elite frogman corps of the Danish Navy, possibly chosen as a tribute, while his arm tattoo refers to the nickname Pingu he received after completing his training as a badged frogman.
The Frogman Corps is a unit of professional divers and commandos tasked with, among other things, attacking enemy ships, advanced military forces, and naval counter-terrorism duties.
Training for the Frogman Corps is notoriously difficult, requiring participants to complete stages over nine months, including a diving course, a survival course, and a combat swimmer course. Since its inception, only 311 soldiers have been admitted to the unit.
Prince Frederick’s grandfather, King Frederick IX, also got tattoos during his time in the navy, with birds and dragons on his torso and arms.