Worldwide, there's a serious love for the British royal family. Massive crowds follow wherever they go. They set trends and head society, for better or worse. They're iconic figures you can recognize just about anywhere.
Despite that, looking just enough like a royal could score you some serious bank. There are some lucky humans out there who through coincidence — and in some cases, blatant attempts — resemble members of the royal family. You might be surprised to learn there's actually a market for that, but royal look-alikes have long raked in big bucks for events, photo shoots, and more.
Some people who have found themselves in that line of work have opened up about their experiences. It's amazing what you can get with just a vague proximity to royalty, and these lucky character actors certainly reap some fascinating benefits.
There are a number of mainstays in the royal look-alike business that have enjoyed stepping into royal shoes for many years. Patricia Ford, for example, has been posing as Queen Elizabeth II since her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Insider reports that she charges about $780 for a three-hour event as Her Majesty.
Simon Watkinson, a Prince William doppelganger, works as a civil engineer by day. In his free time, he enjoys some extra income from portraying the Duke of Cambridge.
"Just before the royal wedding was my busiest time," he told Insider.
"Sometimes I would do a photo shoot at 4 a.m. or breakfast TV appearance before my day job, do interviews on my lunch break, and then make an appearance at a party in the evening after work. Luckily I could wear the same suit to both jobs and I'd simply throw on a tie to get into character."
Then there's Heidi Agan, who has made a career out of her resemblance to Kate Middleton after being a waitress just years ago. She doesn't get into specifics, but she talks about the impact the career change has had on her life.
"For me it was more a lifestyle change than it was a financial change," she said.
"I don't have to send my kids to daycare anymore; I can pick and choose when I work. And so for our family that has been incredible."
Sarah Mhlanga didn't even know who Meghan Markle was when she started getting remarks that she resembled her.
"When Prince Harry announced his engagement my life changed overnight. All of a sudden my husband and friends were telling me I resembled his bride-to-be but I had to google Meghan to see what all the fuss was about," she told The Sun.
"I went from being a typical school-run mum to being stopped half a dozen times a day by strangers asking for selfies, or people on social media contacting me. I didn't plan to try lookalike work but I started getting contacted by lookalike agencies and journalists. Now I'm inundated with offers from around the world."
Sometimes, the look-alikes are hired for some bizarre scenarios. Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles look-alikes were hired by GoDaddy and HotTug ahead of Harry and Meghan's royal wedding to stage a fake bachelor party in a hot-tub boat. The three actors wore Union Jack-themed swimsuits and sang the national anthem while sipping champagne.
It isn't all good times, however. There are some downsides to being a royal look-alike. There are some people who take criticism too far.
"The most difficult part of the job is the criticism [I] receive from people who judge how closely I resemble Prince William," Simon told Insider.
"When I'm working as a lookalike, people will be quite blunt to my face about what they think of me [ … ] It's like people just see you as an object or a wax work and not a real person."
For Heidi, Kate fans and critics alike have been cruel.
"I've had death wishes [ … ] just all kinds of stuff. And you have to learn so quickly to become really thick skinned," she said.
"Everybody has an opinion and that's okay."
Henry Morely, who is a garage owner and mechanic who makes extra cash as a Prince Harry look-alike, has had a harder time getting work since the couple crossed the pond.
"Since Harry and Meghan left the UK, I’ve not had a single booking," he told Metro UK.
"A lot of businesses don’t want to use Harry and Meghan to promote themselves because they think they’ve abandoned their country. I think whether business picks up again will depend on what Harry and Meghan do with their careers."
Still, Henry enjoys the work.
"It's a lot more fun being a Harry lookalike than a William one. Harry has a different image so you’re not having to wear suits all the time," he noted.
"I like doing all events but meet and greets can be challenging because people expect you to be the real person and you’re not. Other than saying 'hello do you want a picture?' you can't do anything else."
Royal look-alikes also have to get used to being mistaken for the famous figures when they're off the clock.
"It's something that was strange at first but now it's just wonderful," Heidi noted.
"My girlfriend gets a bit jealous because people in the street always want a picture with me but not with her and she says people are looking at me when I go down the street," Henry shared.
"To be honest I don’t even notice anymore, I've been told I look like him since I was 18."
