With a Constitutional Monarchy...?

Question

If Prince William fell in love with and married a princess who was first or second in line to the throne of another country what would happen?

Would one of them have to abdicate?

Would the two governments have to be interwoven?

I'm sorry if my question dosent make much sense, or if my grammar is poor, i'm rather tired this evening.

Answer 1

As we have constitutional monarchies it could work but the two governments would not be interwoven although we would have Heads of State who were married. Upon their death of course the normal Laws of Sucession would apply.

This could result in different heirs/heiresses (many European monarchies have the oldest child of whatever gender ascending the throne, the UK still has the oldest son).

Answer 2

It may be some time before Prince Willaim succeeds, but I can't think of any countries with a female heir or second in line to the throne of an appropriate age. So long as he doesn't marry a Roman Catholic, there is no Constitutional problem that would remove him from the line of succession in the UK.

Historically, Henry II married Matilda, whose Dowry created an Empire that went from Hadrian's Wall to the Pyrennes, but this was in a period of Absolute Monarchy.

You would probably get much warmer relations, cultural links, and trade, but uniting Royal Families could not result in combining Governments. It is inconcievable that the two states could merge because we have a Democratic Sovreign Government, and I would assume that any other Constitutional Monarchy would be in a similar situation.

Any heir would probably be heir to both Kingdoms, which could play out in an interesting way. I don't know what would happen, but I know of no Constitutional reason why the Royal Families should not join.

I don't know.

Answer 3

he could not marry a women who was in-line to another thrown, his first son would be hair to two kingdoms it would never work.

its a good question but it will never happen.

as the British sovereign does not have any powers there would be no need to join both governments

Answer 4

The only "eligible" heir to a throne other than William who is of suitable age that I can think of is Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden, who incidentally has had a live in boyfriend for some time.  Since any heir to the Swedish throne would be a Protestant [Lutheran] asw specified in the 1707 Act of Union such a match is theoretically possible but highly unlikely.  

If the past is any indication, the union between countries would be only in the person of the sovereigns and upon their death, any ties between the countries could be dissolved if Parliament desired.

A few English sovereigns from the Renaissance on, however, have married heirs to another country's throne, which made for some "interesting" politics;

---Mary Tudor, for instance, married Prince Philip of Spain, who was heir to the Spanish throne.  Although in name he was equal in rank to Queen Mary, in practice while in England he deferred to his wife.  

---William and Mary, of course, simultaneously ruled the Netherlands and England, Scotland, and Wales.  While Mary II lived, her husband, William of Orange, deferred to her, but upon her death, he ruled.  

Bottom line:  Since monarchs in constitutional monarchs reign rather than rule it could possibly work, although it might also create a conflict of interests,  but then so do dual allegiance to both the United Kingdom, the individual kingdoms within it, and the European Union.

Answer 5

William can not marry the heir presumptive to another throne.She would have to remove herself from line of succession in order to marry William,and perhaps vice- versa.