It is a centuries-old law that could become explosive in the event of a divorce from Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan: Because the regent has a say in custody of the royal offspring. And that could lead to some conflicts in a marriage breakup.
The topic has been boiling up again and again in the past few weeks: Although nothing has been confirmed so far, somehow the rumors of a marriage crisis in Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan are currently persistent. Now it’s Paul Burrell, the former butler of Harry’s mother Princess Diana († 36), who raises the issue again.
He’s certain that “divorce will happen.” But what would be the ramifications if it really comes to that? What few people know: King Charles III. could come into play in this case.
King Charles’ special role in case of divorce from Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan
The world has just witnessed how King Charles III. followed in the footsteps of his mother Queen Elizabeth II († 96). The preservation of the monarchy – the guarantee of succession to the throne – is an irrefutable duty for the royal families of this world that must be fulfilled. This is probably one of the reasons why high-ranking royals in Great Britain have to share custody of their children with the ruling regent until they come of age. This is what a law from the 18th century says, which is still valid today. Although Prince William and Princess Kate, as the future royal couple of the United Kingdom, live a fairly modern life together with their children Prince George (9), Princess Charlotte (8) and Prince Louis (5), they do not have sole custody of their children. Decisions affecting royal offspring require the approval of William’s father, Charles.
According to their own statements, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan resigned from all duties as working royals for the welfare of their children Prince Archie (4) and Princess Lilibet (2) in January 2020, but King Charles’ two grandsons still have a very important one place in the line of succession. Archie is currently sixth after his father and Lilibet seventh. Although the Sussexes are certainly an exception in connection with the royal resignation in questions of custody, the law from 1717 still stands today. In the event of a divorce, the regent could theoretically help decide on Archie and Lilibet’s custody issue. Questions that would have to be clarified if the worst came to the worst would be: With which parent – and thus also in which country – will the offspring live in the future and for the most part? If divorce actually became an issue, the king could become very important to his second son here. With Charles at his side, Harry would probably have a lot in hand when it came to potential custody issues.
Diana was allowed to live in Kensington Palace after her divorce
As a child of divorce, Harry witnessed the power of the palace from an early age. His parents Charles and Diana announced their separation in 1992, and the couple finally divorced in 1996. A hard-to-negotiate divorce agreement regulated the procedure at the time. According to several British media, Diana received a severance payment in the double-digit million range, and she is said to have received a six-digit amount annually. And: The Queen gave her consent to let Diana and her sons continue to live in Kensington Palace. So the two teenagers William and Harry were not torn from their familiar surroundings.
