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In November of last year, Prince Harry made his engagement to American actress Meghan Markle public. However, it wasn't until March 15, 2018 that their engagement became "official." That’s when Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement formally granting her consent for their marriage. Without this approval, their union would have been deemed invalid according to an old British law from the 18th century.
As reported by Town & Country, the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 dictated that any marriage involving a member of the British royal family had to be approved by the reigning monarch. The act [PDF] stated: "... every marriage, or matrimonial contract, of any such descendant, without such consent first had and obtained, shall be null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever."
This rule was revised in 2013 with the introduction of the Succession to the Crown Act. Today, only the first six royals in line to the throne need the monarch's consent for their marriages to be valid. This was crucial for Prince Harry—who was fifth in line at the time of his engagement announcement, but dropped to sixth place in April after the birth of Prince Louis of Cambridge. Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie, Harry's cousin and ninth in line, can marry without needing the Queen's approval this fall.
The Succession to the Crown Act became significant last month when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their son, Prince Louis, into the family. Under the previous rules, the arrival of a boy would have pushed Princess Charlotte down a position in the line of succession. However, due to the new act, Charlotte is the first female royal to retain her place ahead of a younger male sibling.
