Revealed: how the queen could have stopped charles marrying diana w...

PRINCESS DIANA'S WEDDING IN 1981 The pressures of a royal marriage are there for all to see as it is a union in which there is an element of public ownership in addition to private

commitment. Princess Margaret was persuaded not to marry the divorced Peter Townsend, in 1978, however, she was at length permitted to divorce Lord Snowdon. Having said that, Margaret was

never heir to the throne, nor ever likely to be after Charles’ birth in 1948. RELATED ARTICLES The Prince saw it as a happy precedent when his sister, Princess Anne married a commoner,

Captain Mark Philips, in 1973. Though, Princess Anne was freer to choose, with her three brothers between her and the throne. In “Charles, Prince of Wales” by Anthony Holden, the author

reveals how the Queen once wanted to abolish the Royal Marriages Act in favour of Prince Charles having more freedom with his marriage plans. Had she been successful, the history books could

have been rewritten as Charles would have hypothetically been free to marry Camilla Parker Bowles prior to his engagement to Princess Diana. The book, published in 1979, explains that it is

possible that in Elizabeth II’s lifetime, we may see the repeal of both the laws restricting royal choice. Prince Charles kisses Princess Diana's hand at their wedding in 1981 (Image:

GETTY) Charles and Diana's wedding was initially dubbed a 'fairytale' (Image: GETTY) The Queen wanted to change royal precedent regarding marriage (Image: GETTY) Mr Holden 

wrote: “The Queen has it in mind to persuade a Prime Minister to do away with the Royal Marriages Act.” According to the author, the “Royal Marriages Act has long outlived it’s purpose.”

George III introduced it in an attempt to curb his son’s erratic sexual behaviour, and thus ensured that it affected all those in direct line of succession. In 1978, therefore, the sixteenth

in line, Prince Michael of Kent, had to renounce all rights to the throne to wed a Roman Catholic, Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, whose previous marriage was annulled. The Pope

refused them permission to marry in a church, which prompted the Prince of Wales to make a bold public protest about the “needless distress” caused by doctrinal dispute among Christians. The

Prince saw it as a happy precedent when Princess Anne married a commoner, Captain Mark Philips (Image: Getty) The pressures of a royal marriage was there for all to see (Image: Getty) But

the act had already been proved unrealistic, in the latter half of the twentieth century, by Princess Margaret’s divorce, and the divorce and remarriage of the Queen’s cousin, the Earl of

Harewood. In November last year, Prince Harry shared his plans to marry American actress Meghan Markle with the public, but it wasn't until March 15, 2018 that their engagement became 

"official". That is when Queen Elizabeth II released a statement giving her formal consent for the couple to wed. Without it, their marriage would have been considered invalid

under a British law that dates back to the 18th century. PRINCE CHARLES ADMITS HE WAS UNFAITHFUL TO PRINCESS DIANA The 1772 Royal Marriages Act stated that all marriages to a member of the

British royal family were subject to the approval of the reigning monarch. The statute read: "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 received an update in 2013 with the passing of the Succession to the Crown Act. Today, only

the first six royals in line to the throne require the monarch's permission to validate their marriages.  Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would not have been able to marry without

Queen's consent (Image: Getty) The Queen shares a joke with Meghan Markle (Image: GETTY) That means that for Prince Harry – who was fifth in line when he announced his engagement, but

knocked into sixth place in April with the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge – getting the Queen's blessing was vital.  The Succession to the Crown Act became

relevant this year when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed baby Prince Louis into their family.  Under the old laws, the birth of a boy would have bumped Princess Charlotte down a

peg in the line of succession, but thanks to the new act she's the first female royal to maintain her spot over a younger male sibling.