Can a roman catholic person marry into the British royal family?

[jolie]

Has the law been changed like the one relating to female first born children inheriting the throne ??? When was it changed?

[chen12]

These laws are both in the process of being changed. I don't think final Parliamentary and royal assent have yet been given. See below:

[valentino]

These laws are both in the process of being changed. I don't think final Parliamentary and royal assent have yet been given. See below:

[bernd]

Roman Catholics have always been allowed to marry into the royal family. Princess Michael of Kent is a Roman Catholic. When she married Prince Michael he lost his place in the succession. His children were raised in the Anglican church, however, so they kept theirs. What you are asking is whether or not Roman Catholics can marry into the royal family without it affecting their spouse's place in the succession - the answer is not yet. The law is in the process of being changed along with that of going from male preference primogeniture to equal primogeniture, which you erroneously suggested had already changed. It has not. It is in the process of being changed and must be approved by Parliament, which will not happen until the next session of Parliament this year.

[curney13]

A Catholic could always marry into the Royal Family the spouse would just loose their place in the succession.

The law has not been changed yet. It is quite a lengthy process. It will mean amending half a dozen different Acts of Parliament alone in the United Kingdom and then approval is needed in all the Commonwealth Realms under the Statue of Westminster.

It is believed that an act will be introduced in the next session of Parliament from the 9th May watch out for the Queen's Speech. The New Zealand will coordinate legislation across the other realms once they have all be approved then it will pass into law that the descendants of Prince Charles will succeed under the principle of equal preference primogeniture, Catholics may marry the sovereign and other member of the family without loosing their place in the succession. However a Catholic may not be sovereign as they must also be in communion with the Anglican church.

A Catholic could always marry into the Royal Family the spouse would just loose their place in the succession.

The law has not been changed yet. It is quite a lengthy process. It will mean amending half a dozen different Acts of Parliament alone in the United Kingdom and then approval is needed in all the Commonwealth Realms under the Statue of Westminster.

It is believed that an act will be introduced in the next session of Parliament from the 9th May watch out for the Queen's Speech. The New Zealand will coordinate legislation across the other realms once they have all be approved then it will pass into law that the descendants of Prince Charles will succeed under the principle of equal preference primogeniture, Catholics may marry the sovereign and other member of the family without loosing their place in the succession. However a Catholic may not be sovereign as they must also be in communion with the Anglican church.

[tupac]

Of course they may. They always could. But if a Roman Catholic marries a member of the British royal family, that member must renounce his/her right to the throne.

[camdin90]

Both laws have not been changed yet. Until the law is changed, a British royal may marry a Catholic, but must give up the place in line of succession. When the laws are changed maybe later this year, the royal won't have to step down, but children must be Church of England in order to become monarch.
The law concerning primogeniture will begin with William's children on.

[aviya]

A Catholic could always marry into the Royal Family the spouse would just loose their place in the succession.

The law has not been changed yet. It is quite a lengthy process. It will mean amending half a dozen different Acts of Parliament alone in the United Kingdom and then approval is needed in all the Commonwealth Realms under the Statue of Westminster.

It is believed that an act will be introduced in the next session of Parliament from the 9th May watch out for the Queen's Speech. The New Zealand will coordinate legislation across the other realms once they have all be approved then it will pass into law that the descendants of Prince Charles will succeed under the principle of equal preference primogeniture, Catholics may marry the sovereign and other member of the family without loosing their place in the succession. However a Catholic may not be sovereign as they must also be in communion with the Anglican church.

[arrigo]

Yes, but it has to be a person.

[lalla3]

Neither part of the Act of Settlement has been changed yet, the new Act is still going through the British Parliament. At present, a catholic may marry someone who is in the line of succession, but the dynast looses his or her right to succeed. The loss of dynastic rights does not automatically extend to descendants. (eg when Ernst August Von Hannover married Princess Caroline. He lost his place in the line. His elder children retained their succession rights, his youngest child's rights were guaranteed when it was decided that she be raised protestant). Loss of dynastic right is permenant (Aleksandar of Serbia is still ineligable eventhough he divorced his catholic wife and is now married to an othodox woman)

When the law changes, a protestant could keep his or her rights when married to or converting to the catholic church, though it would be unlikely that the Church of England would accept a catholic king as Supreme Governor.