Can a British king marry for love?

The British public is constantly talking about the thriving novel of Prince Harry with American actress Megan Markle. And the couple in love already gets numerous questions about whether their wedding will take place.

If they decide to unite with legal ties, then the couple is likely to face a much lower level of control over the ordinary social status of Mark than it was before 2011.

The marriage of Prince William

In 2011, Prince William married Kate Middleton, the current duchess of Cambridge, who does not belong to an aristocratic family.

Great-grandfather Middleton came from a family of miners, and her parents - airline employees, who managed to earn a fortune by establishing a mail order company.

Violations of the rule

The marriage of representatives of British royal families with persons who did not have a noble origin, occurred in the distant past.

In 1464, Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner and widow, secretly married King Edward IV. She was the queen until the death of her husband, who died in 1483.

In 1660, the husband of another commoner Anne Hyde was the future King James II (then known as James, Duke of York). The relationship was legitimate, after she became pregnant. Ann died in 1671, before James ascended to the throne in 1685.

According to the Royal Marriage Act, issued in 1772, all the descendants of King George II were to receive the official permission of the monarch before being bound by marriage.

This tradition arose in connection with the fact that George III (grandson of George II) was furious that his younger brother, Prince Henry, married a commoner. It was Anna Horton, the widow of a simple man by birth.

Unhappy love of Princess Margaret

In 1955, Princess Margaret was forced to end her relationship with a man with whom she wanted to legitimize relations. It was Captain Peter Townsend. The reason for the separation was that her older sister, Queen Elizabeth, was not willing to authorize their union.

However, after half a century, the attitude to this problem has changed, and the queen gave her formal blessing that her son Prince Charles would marry Camille Parker Bowles.

Crown legacy law

In 2013, the crown inheritance law abolished the rule on royal marriages and demanded that only the first six people who claim the throne receive the consent of the sovereign before they marry. In addition to Prince Charles and Prince William, this list now includes two William's children (Prince George and Princess Charlotte). Also included in the list is his younger brother, Prince Harry, and then his uncle, Prince Andrew.