Friday, January 19, 2018

Yes She will Be a Princess: Summing up the facts: Meghan and Harry

Rachel Meghan Markle is beginning the transformation from American commoner to a royal highness.  Let's get a few misconceptions out of the way.

*   Meghan is not Roman Catholic. Going to a Roman Catholic high school does not make you Roman Catholic.     Kensington Palace has described Meghan and her mother, Doria, as Protestant, and her father, Thomas, as Protestant Episcopal.    The Palace also announced that Meghan will be baptized, according to the rites of the Church of England, and then will be confirmed before her marriage to Prince Harry, which will take place some time in May at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

In an article that I wrote on August 21st,  I stated that I believed that Meghan may not have been baptized as an infant.  This is not unusual in the United States as more and more Americans are members or active in Christian faith communities. I was right.  If Meghan had been baptized in a Protestant church, she would not need to be baptized in order to join the Church of England.  She was never baptized.


*  Miss Markle will become a British citizen, but she will go through the normal process, which will include leaving the UK before her wedding and returning to the United States to apply for the fiancee settlement visa (the marriage has to take place within 6 months of the application.)  She is currently entering the United Kingdom on a tourist visa.   The next step after the wedding will be to apply for a marriage settlement visa so she can remain living in Britain.   The future royal can begin the application for British nationality after three years, not five, because her husband is British.

There will be no fast tracking for British nationality for Miss Markle.   This has been confirmed by Kensington Palace.

During this time period she will remain an American citizen and will be using her U.S. passport.  She will not receive a British passport until she has received her British citizenship.

[Although Prince Philip went through the naturalization process before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, it was realized later that the naturalization was not necessary.  The Sophia Naturalisation Act (1705) have British citizenship in perpetuity to the non-Roman Catholic descendants of the Electress Sophia of Hannover.  In 1948, the law was superseded by the British Nationality Act. However, descendants born before the new law went into effect in 1949, remained eligible for citizenship.  Prince Friedrich of Prussia, who married Lady Brigid Guinness (daughter of the Earl of Iveagh) and Prince Ernst August of Hanover, father of the present head of the house of Hanover, won their right to British nationality, according to the law.]

It is possible that Meghan will renounce her American citizenship after she becomes a British national.  This is not a requirement of the UK nor US governments.  The United States does not officially recognize dual nationality but accepts that other countries do.

This Washington Post article explains in detail the financial conundrum that the Royal Family could face if Meghan does not renounce her American citizenship.


*    It is nearly certain that Prince Harry will receive a dukedom (along with an earldom and a barony) on the morning of his wedding.  He does not stop being a prince, but how he is styled will change.  Yes, the papers will call him Prince Harry, but he will be officially HRH The Duke of whatever

*  Meghan will share her husband's status.   In Britain, a wife shares her husband's rank.  Harry is a prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern.  At present, he is STYLED  as HRH Prince Henry of Wales (officially) but will probably be styled as HRH The Duke of ... after the wedding.


So what does this mean for Meghan?  Repeat after me:  Meghan will be a  Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland when she is Harry's wife.   She will not become Princess Meghan because she is not a princess of the blood royal.  In the United Kingdom, princess by birth are styled by their names,  wives of princes are not.  (It it is what was done at the German courts.)  Yea, it may be a bit out of date these days, but ... it is what is done in the United Kingdom so get over it!

This is why Meghan will have the status of a princess.

In 1923, after the wedding of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, an official statement was released by the palace:

"In accordance with the settled general rule that a wife takes the status of her husband Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on her marriage has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York with the status of a Princess."


Read it again, say it with me:   Meghan will have the status of a princess.  Share this with all your doubting friends.   People and People Magazine will probably call her Princess Meghan.   Don't get your knickers in a twist about this.  Most people are not royal experts and don't truly understand or care.

Just don't send a letter to HRH Princess Meghan.

*   She will not be HRH Meghan, Duchess of whatever.  No name in title.  Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge  is incorrect as well.  She is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.   Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge indicates one of two things:  a widow of a peer or the divorced wife of a peer.

When the Lady Diana Spencer married HRH The Prince of Wales (who has a bunch of other titles, too) she became HRH The Princess of Wales (as well as the Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Princess Charles, and so on.)   After the divorce, she lost the HRH, stopped being a princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by marriage, and was styled as the former wife of a peer:  Diana, Princess of Wales.

If you do not believe this, invest in a copy of Debrett's Correct Form.

 
*  Meghan will continue to use Meghan as her name, although her first name is Rachel.  She has never used Rachel as her first name.   As a royal, she will sign her first name only.


I do not know everything and my crystal ball has been at the repair shop for years as the piece needed to see all is no longer available from the manufacturer.

I do not know the date of the wedding.  I do not know what tiara she will wear.  I do not know where they will in the future, but I expect Nottingham Cottage will not remain their London residence for long.    I also not know when her belongings will arrive in England.


What I do know is this:  American-born Meghan Markle will have the status of a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland when she is married.

Yes She will Be a Princess: Summing up the facts: Meghan and Harry was posted here first. 

BREAKING!!!! Palace Reveals First Official Royal Gift Given to Meghan Markle!!!

It was unexpected when Prince Harry took decision to make Markle a member of the royal family. But this is happening on next 19 May, though the future- bride started to be blessed with the royal gifts.

The bride-to-be received her first gift as a royal fiancĂ©e via her future brother-in-law, Prince William, who accepted it in November on behalf of Meghan and Prince Harry during his official visit to Finland. William’s visit was just two days after Meghan and Harry announced their engagement.
Do you know what was the gift gone to Meghan? The gift was something you likely have at home yourself: an apron.

And do you know why the future couple in the prestigious British family chose this gift for Meghan Markle? This is why, as Meghan and Harry earlier said that they would spend their early days of relationship at home together, cooking, their famous “engagement chicken,” obviously and watching television.

So, as their expectation, apron is a fitting present for Meghan and Harry. The apron was, of course, just one of many gifts that the royal family received throughout the year.
Every January, the royal family releases a comprehensive list of the gifts they received throughout the last calendar year.

Where Prince George and Princess Charlotte got books, toy trains and planes, coloring books, toys and lollipops throughout the year, Prince William got several books, a vase and even a pair of knitted booties. During their visit to Poland and Germany in July 2017, Kate picked up several new dresses, pairs of earrings and handbags.

The Queen also picked up several impressive gifts. She got the Union Jack flag from his spacesuit form Major Tim Peake, the first British citizen to be a part of the crew in the International Space Station.

She was also gifted two photographs of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where her summer retreat Balmoral, is located, shot from space by the Governor-General designate of Canada, Madame Julie Payette.

The gift made Meghan Markle happy. What the gift is, how much it costs doesn’t matter. But it matters where it is from. The gift gone to Meghan is the precious acknowledgement from the royal family. It can be considered `the sign of love’ instead of anger and hate what Meghan got primarily from the Queen.

This receiving gift ensures us that Meghan is going to be received cordially by the royal family.

What do you think? Aren’t you agreed with us? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and don't forget to subscribe to get instant news update. 

BREAKING: Prince Charles and Harry 'CLASH' over royal wedding

Watch on YouTube here: BREAKING: Prince Charles and Harry 'CLASH' over royal wedding Via https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngqHnO...