5 facts about marrying a British royal
Prince Harry has been courting Meghan Markle for the past few months now. The Queen has approved of their courtship but will she approve of a marriage? If there were to be another royal wedding soon, here are the rules about marrying into the British family.
1. The Queen haves to give her permission
Before the pair can walk down the aisle, the Queen must give her approval to Prince Harry. King George III’s Royal Marriages Act of 1722 states that senior members of the royal families cannot marry someone who is divorced or Catholic. Meghan Markle may make a wonderful royal but she has been married before.
In 2013, the Royal Marriages Act was repealed in favour of the Successions to the Crown Act. The new act means that only the first six in line need the Queen’s permission to marry. In 2005, the Queen gave her permission for Prince Charles to marry Camilla Parker Bowles who had also been married previously. So, Meghan shouldn’t have to worry.
2. Royals can marry commoners
As long as the Queen approves of the individual that is marrying into the royal family, then the marriage is valid even if they are a commoner. Duchess Catherine is the perfect example of a commoner become royalty, after her marriage to Prince William in 2011.
3. Marrying into the royal family won’t make you a King, Queen, Prince or Princess necessarily
If the British Queen marries, her husband is known as the king consort. Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Phillip, because he is Greek cannot have the title as King. If William becomes king, Duchess Catherine will hold the title of Queen consort. If Meghan marries Harry then she will be a Duchess like Kate.
4. You cannot be active in politics
The Royal Family are political representations of the country but do not participate in most political events. The family is allowed to vote but choose not to as it would be considered unconstitutional. This helps the Royal family identify with all sections of society.
5. You won’t get to play Monopoly with the Royal family
In 2008, Prince Andre Duke of York who is Prince Charles’ younger brother, banned playing Monopoly with the royal family as it became ‘too vicious’. So if you are a fan of the game, you must sacrifice it as part of your royal duty.