14 Real Life Cinderella Stories

The Disney movie about a woman who goes from rags to riches in the blink of an eye became one of the most iconic animated films of all times. Cinderella's story drove many young girls to believe that miracles happen and that a handsome and rich prince could fall in love with an ordinary woman and change her life forever.

In this list you wont exactly find maids who married princes, but their stories are pretty similar to Cinderella's. They were ordinary women, born in ordinary circumstances and someway or another they all found a handsome and rich man who took them away from their ordinary existence and showered them with a luxurious life.

This story will help you realize that dreams can come true and that a Prince Charming can fall in love with an ordinary girl. So keep on reading, because some of these stories will get your heart racing and your imagination flying.

14 Queen Letizia Of Spain

She was born in Asturias, in a middle-class family. Later on, she moved to Madrid to study in the Complutense University of Madrid, where she received a bachelor's degree in journalism.

After finishing her studies she moved for some time to the Mexican city of Guadalajara, where she worked for a local newspaper called Siglo 21. Upon returning to Spain, she worked for Bloomberg and then CNN.

Then, in 1998, she married her long-time boyfriend, Alonso Guerrero, but the marriage was dissolved in 1999.

It wasn't until 2003 when she surprised the world when the Royal Household announced Letizia's engagement to the heir of the Spanish thrown, whom she had met during her journalism career. She soon after moved to live in the Zarzuela Palace and went onto have two beautiful girls with the now King of Spain.

In 2014, Letizia was named Queen of Spain. She's the first commoner to become Queen of the country.

13 Luciana Barroso

The beautiful Argentinian was working as a bartender in a bar in Miami. She was divorced and was a single mother trying to juggle work and motherhood. But one magical day in 2003, out of all the bars in all the world, the A-list actor Matt Damon had to walk into hers.

The sexy star was filming the movie Stuck on You, when he decided to grab a drink; he claims that it was love at first sight. In that crowded place she was the one who stood out and the rest is history. They've been married for a decade now and have three girls together plus Luciana's daughter from her previous marriage.

12 Kate Middleton

Yes! Middleton comes from a well-off family, however, she lacked aristocratic blood, but this was irrelevant to Prince William who fell madly and deeply in love with her. They both met in 2001 through a common friend when they were studying together at the University of St Andrews, but it wasn't until 2003 that they unofficially started dating. Then in 2007 they split up for unknown reasons.

Luckily for Middleton they got back together and the couple married in April of 2011. Now, after five years of marriage and two precious children together we can say that Middleton, or should I say the Duchess of Cambridge and William live happily ever after.

11 Natasha Muslimorova

Now, this IS a real life Cinderella story! Natasha was a poor waitress living in Belarus. She had just recently started working in the Hotel Minsk's restaurant as a waitress. Sheikh Sayyid bin Maktoum al-Maktoum was in Belarus for a tournament and would usually eat in his presidential suite. However, for some unknown reason the Sheikh decided to dine at the restaurant for once and there it was that he first laid eyes on 19-year-old Natasha.

The Sheikh decided to stay in Belarus longer and missed out on a tournament in Russia, all so he could conquer Natasha's heart. Natasha fell for the Sheikh and they soon after got married.

10 Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Of Norway

Mette-Marit was just a commoner in Norway and had quite a disadvantaged past. She was a single mother, took longer than usual to finish her high school education and she worked for a year in a cafe in Oslo. But the beautiful Mette-Marit got lucky. In the late 1990's during a garden party of the Quart Festival season, Mette-Marit met Prince Haakon Magnus, but it wasn't until years later, after she had become a single mother, that their destinies crossed again and she re-encountered Prince Haakon Magnus at another party related to the same event.

The couple fell in love and wed in August 2011 (in spite of the public outrage concerning Mette-Marit's past). She now holds a master's degree in Executive Management and has left behind her wild ways.

9 Rania Al Abdullah, Queen Of Jordan

Rania was born in Kuwait under the name of Rania Al-Yassin. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo and was actually a successful woman before becoming Queen of Jordan. She worked for Citibank and Apple Inc.

In 1993 she met the then Prince Abdullah II Al-Hussein of Jordan at a party; the two fell in love and got married six months later. In 1999 after the Prince became King, he officially elevated his wife to queen status.

8 Mary Donaldson, Crown Princess Of Denmark

Mary Donaldson was an ordinary girl from Australia. She attended the University of Tasmania, where she graduated with a joint degree in Commerce and Law.

When the Olympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia in the year 2000, Mary thought it would be a good idea to attend. It was actually the best thing she could have done. While in Sydney she went to the Slip Inn bar and there it was that she met Prince Frederik of Denmark. They were in a long distance relationship for some time and the prince would discreetly visit her in Australia. In the year of 2003 they got officially engaged and they wed one year later on May 2004. The couple has four children and they live happily in a far away kingdom called Denmark.

7 Grace Kelly, Princess Of Monaco

Who can forget the fairy tale life of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III.

Grace Kelly was Hollywood royalty; she was a part of the exclusive A-list crowd of Hollywood and made hit films that became classics. Prince Rainier III was the heir to the thrown of Monaco.

The pair met while Kelly headed the U.S. delegation at the Cannes Film Festival. She was in a relationship at the time but the pair exchanged correspondences for a while, before Prince Rainier III went to the U.S. on an official visit.

After only three days of spending time with Kelly and her family Rainier proposed and the couple got married in 1956. Grace Kelly went on to become world royalty.

6 Salma Hayek

OK so Salma didn't exactly marry into aristocracy but her story is pretty Cinderella-like. Salma grew up in Veracruz, Mexico and comes from a middle-class family.

She began her acting career in soap operas and low-budget movies before heading to California and making it big.

She had a successful career of her own but it wasn't until she wed François-Henri Pinault that she made it to an entirely different league. It was during an exposition in Venice, Italy that she met her billionaire husband with whom she has a daughter.

5 Wallis Simpson

She might have been considered a socialite, but in reality her wealthy relatives economically supported Wallis and her mother because Wallis' father had died shortly after her birth leaving her mother and her in precarious financial circumstances.

Before meeting the future King of England, Wallis had been previously married twice; she was actually married when she met Edward, Prince of Wales. It was after he was named King that Wallis divorced her husband in order to marry the King of England.

Unfortunately for Wallis she never made it to queen status because Kind Edward had to abdicate the thrown to be able to marry her. She still became part of the European aristocracy but it cost her husband the position of King.

What can I say… the heart wants what the heart needs.

4 Natalia Vodianova

She grew up in poverty in her native Russia, selling fruit in a market before becoming a world renowned supermodel whose face has graced the covers of big magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Marie Claire and many others. She's also walked the runway for the biggest names in the fashion industry and starred in multi-million dollar campaigns.

Nevertheless, she still wasn't part of the aristocratic European world. That was until she wed the Viscount Portman, with whom she has three precious children.

The marriage didn't last until death brought them apart, instead it was a nasty divorce. But Vodianova didn't stay lonely for long and found herself an even bigger catch when she fell madly and deeply in love with Antoine Arnault, son of billionare Bernard Arnault, founder and CEO of LVMH.

She now has a child with Arnault and is currently expecting baby number 5.

3 Alice Kim

Many would've thought that life didn't have much in stock for Alice Kim. She was just a poor waitress barely making ends meet while working in the L.A. restaurant Kabuki.

But on Valentine's Day in 2004, a lonely Nicolas Cage went to the restaurant where Kim worked to have dinner with some friends.

He was left so bewitched by Kim's beauty and grace that he asked her to be his date for the Oscar's, and a delighted Kim answered “Yes”. Two months later Cage presented her with a magnificent wedding ring.

Despite the 20 year age difference between them, they have managed to make their marriage work. They've been married for over a decade now and have a son together.

2 Tarita Teriipaia

Teriipaia was a struggling actress living in paradise, or commonly known as Tahiti, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Marlon Brando was part of Hollywood royalty and an A-lister that was visiting Tahiti while filming the movie Mutiny on the Bounty and Teriipaia was playing his love interest.

We bet that Teriipaia never imagined leaving her remote island, but destiny had bigger plans for her. Brando fell in love with Teriipaia while shooting the movie and in spite of the language barrier he married her. Brando had to learn French so he could communicate with his wife and later went on to even give interviews in the French language. Teriipaia gave birth to two of Brandon's children and even though the marriage didn't last Teriipaia became part of Hollywood royalty for a while.

1 Yoko Ono

No one really knew who Yoko Ono was before she married the famous Beatle John Lennon.

Before the fortunate encounter Ono was a sort of struggling artist who was trying to build a name for herself in the difficult art world in New York City. She had been married twice and had a daughter she lost custody of.

The way she met Lennon is still subject to debate. Some say they met during one of her art expositions and others say they met when Ono asked for a manuscript of their music. Either way they met and fell in love instantly. Lennon was actually married when he began an affair with Ono and soon after divorced so he could marry Ono in 1969.

Even if Ono is responsible for breaking up The Beatles, Ono's life changed dramatically as a result of her union with Lennon. Her name became a household name and her art was dramatically catapulted to success. Even after Lennon's death Ono stayed within the tight circle of the artistic aristocracy.