'The royal family now marry for love, instead of within their own circle,' says etiquette expert
Watch the full episode eight of Yahoo UK’s show ‘The Royal Box‘, here from Friday 28 September.
Royals marrying commoners was once seen as controversial but in recent times, that’s all changed.
Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, whom he met at the University of St Andrews. Although she came from a wealthy background, Kate was still referred to as a commoner, because she had no royal or aristocratic ties.
Speaking on episode 8 of Yahoo UK’s The Royal Box, etiquette expert Liz Brewer says: “That’s what they [the royal family] were always encouraged to do, to marry within their own world.
“And that did work, and that has worked in many other countries and communities, where you have arranged marriages, and people accept it and make it work.
“What’s happened here is what people we’ve sort of grown up in this world and now people want to marry outside that circle.”
Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, in order to marry American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson. The Queen’s sister Princess Margaret famously sacrificed love for the crown, when she called off her engagement to the once-married Peter Townsend.
It was not until the Queen gave Charles permission to wed Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005, (both of whom had been married before) that things changed.
Most recently, of course, Prince Harry has married American actress Meghan Markle, who has an ex-husband.
Brewer explains that within the royal family, there used to be debutante balls, where young women were presented to the Queen. The last one was held in 1958.
She says: “You married within your own circle, that’s gone by the board.
“Now people marry somebody that they fall in love with and they respect or they have similarities, they have a similar aim in life.
“They start working together and I think that’s the world we’re now living in.”
Harry and Meghan have previously spoken about their shared interests and passions.
Since their wedding, they have been concentrating on their work concerning the Commonwealth, young people and mental health.
Their sixteen-day royal tour of Australia and New Zealand later this month, will see them get involved in a number of engagements to raise awareness of those issues.
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