Following in the footsteps of the Queen and Prince Philip, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, and Prince William and Kate Middleton, it has now been confirmed Prince Harry is allowed to marry his divorcee girlfriend, Meghan Markle, if he decides to pop the question.
'Er, big deal?' you cry.
Well, yes actually, this is a big deal when it comes to royal marriages.
According to the Express, a spokesman for Westminster Abbey has said: 'The Abbey follows the General Synod Ruling of 2002. Since then it has been possible for divorced people to be married in the Church of England.'
The spokesman also confirmed that the Suits actress' Jewish background (her father is reportedly Jewish) would not prevent her from having an 'interfaith' marriage to her 32-year-old royal beau.
However, if the pair do decide to get married, they would reportedly first have to receive permission from the Queen and, it is widely believed, a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury given the fact that Markle married US film and TV producer, Trevor Engelson, in Jamaica in 2011 and were spotted taking part in a Jewish chair dance, according to the Sun.
While there is no legal barrier that prevents members of the Royal Family from marrying someone from another faith – be it Jewish, Buddhist or Muslim faith – or of no faith, under the Act of Settlement of 1701, no one in the direct line of succession were allowed to marry a Catholic and keep their right to the throne.
Fortunately, amendments to the act made in 2015 meant Royal Family members are now able to marry a Catholic, however, a Roman Catholic is still unable to become the monarch, because he/she must be the head of the Church of England.
That kind of makes sense, right?
The news comes months after the 35-year-old Toronto-based actress wrote an emotional piece for ELLE UK, describing her biracial identity as 'half black and half white'.
Despite changes to the General Synod's (the legislative body of the Church of England) 2002 guidance, Prince Charles chose to marry Camilla Parker-Bowles in civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in 2005, rather than in a church.
The idea that Harry would be able to marry divorcee Markle will appease Royal Family fans, especially when they recall the heartbreaking decision made my Princess Margaret in 1955, when she broke off her relationship with divorced Captain, Peter Townsend, in the name of duty.
'Mindful of the Church's teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others,' read her official statement on the issue.
Wedding bells and confetti at the ready people, the countdown to Harry's proposal is well underway.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
