Prince George Could Break 350-Year-Old Royal Tradition But Should Consider This Condition

Prince George could break a three-century-long royal tradition, but on one condition.

According to Anna Kretschmer, a journalist for Express, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children are the first royal generation who are allowed to marry a Catholic. The first royal to do so was King James II and it happened 350 years ago.

The 1701 Act of Settlement ensured that the English and Irish crowns would only pass on to Protestants. Anyone who became a Roman Catholic or who married one would automatically be disqualified from inheriting the throne.

In 2013, the Crown Act came into force and ended the generations-old disqualifications to the throne. However, although Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are allowed to marry a Catholic, they should maintain their connection to the Church of England to keep their respective ranks at the line of succession.

“This meant that though a monarch could marry a Catholic, as he or she was Supreme Governor of the Church in England they must remain in Communion with the Church of England,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams explained to Express.

“Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis could marry a Catholic but their children would have to be brought up in the Church of England if they were to retain their place in the line of succession.”

Fitzwilliams believed that there’s no move in the foreseeable future to further reform the rules governing who can ascend the throne. Prince Charles has been open to including all faiths, but the royal expert thinks that this is not on the agenda yet. However, the future ruler may consider it.

“To alter the status of the Church of England, the state church since 1534, would mean a seismic change in the rituals of British public life and would considerably affect the status of the monarchy,“ he added.

In related news, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also broke a 350-year-old tradition in their 2011 royal wedding. According to Jessica Jayne’s book “The Duchess of Cambridge: How Kate Middleton Became A Future Queen,” Prince William was the first royal to marry a “commoner” in over three centuries.

Jayne pointed out how those who called Middleton a “commoner” at their words. Back in the old days, a commoner marrying a royal was just a dream.

Meanwhile, in the 2018 documentary “The Queen Mother,” royal historian Alastair Bruce said that it’s Elizabeth Bowes Lyon who broke the 250-year-old protocol when she married King George VI. Queen Mother is the first commoner to marry the royal family and this paved the way for Middleton and Meghan Markle’s easy entry into the Firm.