How come Roman Catholics can't marry Prince William or Prince Harry. Could they convert there religon?

Question

How come Roman Catholics can't marry Prince William or Prince Harry. Could they convert there religon?

Answer 1

Anybody in line to the throne cannot marry a Catholic so if they want to do that they must renounce their right to the throne or their partner must stop being a catholic

Answer 2

The origin goes way back to the days of Henry the 8th,

He had issues with the catholic church  and so he broke away from the church and formed the anglican church ........

His daugher Mary had been brought up a catholic

His daughter elizabeth, an anglican.

When Henry Died Mary became queen and went about re-instating the Catholic Church.... .when she was disposed .. Elizabeth  went about undoing all the recatholicing ( made up word btw) England.

this happened a few times .. One monarch would try and bring back the catholic church  and another would try and grant the anglican church power .. One Anglican King married a catholic woman and he ( somebody with a better memory will be able to tell you the names) finally converted to catholocism... ( sorry really can;'t spell this arvo)..

There was a civil war over it and one king ( james the second ????) was over thrown and beheaded.. for few decades there was no monarchy and  then it was re-instated but the Government made laws that would safe guard the anglican church and no royal was meant  to marry a catholic is one of them ....

BUT yes they could convert .. as Princess Michael Of Kent did when she married the Queen's Cousin.

Answer 3

I think today if someone were to convert from the Catholic to Anglican Church it would be OK.But I think that when all the Royalty married other Royalty, for example if the Prince of Wales wanted to marry a French or Spanish Princess, or a Duchess from a Catholic part of Germany or an Austrian, there would be concern that there could be Catholic influence from the Princess' family even if she converted to the Anglican Church. I don't know much about British law but I would think that rule could be changed since the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England are not enemies anymore.

Answer 4

Roman Catholic law requires the child of a Catholic parent to be raised as a Catholic.  The monarch is the head of the Church of England (Anglican faith).  Many wars were fought over the years in England between catholics and protestants.  This ended (excluding the troubles in Ireland) when a catholic heir was to inherit the throne of the England and Scotland.  

An act was passed in 1701 by Parliament, the "Act of Settlement", skipping over would-be heirs of William III to give the throne to distant relatives who happened to be Protestant.  Thus, the Hanover dynasty (a German family) took over the throne.   One can convert from other religions and marry into the Windsor family with no issue.  Catholicism remains a problem because the Act of Settlement remains the law.

Answer 5

If the person wished to convert to the Church of England faith.there would be nothing to prevent the marriage.

Answer 6

It's not so much that Roman Catholics cannot marry them as it is they cannot marry outside of the Church of England unless they wish to abdicate their right to the throne.

The Monarch which most likely William will be one day is also the head of the church of England. the Monarch has had that title and role since the reformation times when King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic church so that he could divorce Catherine of Aragon.

By the way, King Henry was not their great grandfather!!!

Their great grand-uncle abdicated so that he could marry the divorcee Wallis Simpson, it had nothing to do with religion.

Answer 7

According to the Act of Settlement, those in the line of succession who marry Roman Catholics forfeit their place in the line. When Peter Philips, the Queen's oldest grandchild, currently 11th in line got engaged his fiancee was a Roman Catholic. She converted to Church of England so he did not forfeit his place in the line.

The Act of Settlement specifically mentions Roman Catholicism but Prince Philip also converted from Greek Orthodox before his marriage to the then Princess Elizabeth.