Another royal wedding is in the making: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on Nov. 27! They are expected to be married in Spring 2018. Meghan Markle, an American actress, is becoming a part of the British royal family — talk about a dream come true! But, it takes a whole lot more than having a prince fall in love with you to be royalty.
First of all, Markle will not actually be called a princess once she is married; her title will be Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales. If Prince Harry takes the title Duke of Sussex though, Markle will then be the Duchess of Sussex. Believe it or not, their engagement process gets a whole lot more complicated than figuring out titles.
The Queen has to give Prince Harry permission to marry Markle; otherwise, the marriage would be invalid, according to the Royal Marriages Act 1772. The Instrument of Consent is announced with the Queen’s Great Seal of Realm. It’s a bit more complicated than going over to the fiancée’s house to ask her parents’ permission, but Prince Harry followed the tradition.
Fun Fact: Markle’s engagement ring was custom designed by Prince Harry and made by Cleave and Co. The center diamond of the ring came from Botswana, and the two side diamonds came from Princess Diana’s personal jewelry collection.
Prince Harry didn’t just need to talk to the Queen and Markle’s parents before announcing the engagement; the prime minister, too, needs to be informed about the news before it’s announced to the public. The prime minister could also advise the Queen whether or not to give her permission.
The wedding plans begin, and so does Markle’s military training — that’s right, she needs to go through some gruesome training before entering into the royal family, just like Kate Middleton did. It’s for her own safety, since being royalty also means could be targeted by attackers. She’ll learn what to do and how to act in scenarios in which she’s held hostage or when she’s without her close protection.
Once married, there are a few rules that Markle will have to learn. For example, she will no longer be able to take part in anything political. This one might be difficult for her, as she was actively involved in our last presidential election. Also, the Queen sets the rule at the dining table. When the Queen is done eating at dinner, so is everyone else — everyone follows her actions. Another oddball rule is no playing Monopoly with the in-laws, since it was banned in 2008 because it was “too vicious.”
Being a part of the royal family sure isn’t as easy as I thought it would be — there are so many rules to follow before you even get engaged! If you think you have what it takes, there are still plenty of eligible royal bachelors out there. Now the big question is, where do we meet these cuties?