It’s not a pleasant thing to think about, but considering
the royal family’s track
record with divorce, it’s at least worth mentioning. With Prince Harry and
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex making major life decisions like exiting the royal
family as senior working royals, it’s causing some fans to question what
would happen if they split.
The couple seems more in love and happier than ever right
now. But the year is young, and since both Harry and Meghan have divorced parents,
they are statistically more likely to get divorced themselves. Plus, Meghan was
married and divorced once already.
If the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did call it quits, they’d have a lot of arrangements to work out, including a mutually approved custody agreement. But one thing the royal family won’t have to worry about is Meghan getting away with any of the royal fortune — even though this couple never signed a prenup.
Prince Harry said no to a prenup because he didn’t believe
his marriage could end
Prenups — especially ones with wild clauses — are a mainstay in Hollywood. But the royal family plays by different rules and therefore doesn’t bother with prenups most of the time.
Rumor has it that royal courtiers did urge Prince Harry to
sign a prenup before marrying Meghan, but he refused because he figured there
was no chance of getting divorced. “He’s determined that his marriage will
be a lasting one, so there’s no need for him to sign anything,” a friend of
his told
Daily Mail.
Most royal family members don’t bother with prenuptial
agreements
It turns out the Duke of Sussex’s decision to skip the prenup
wasn’t too strange. In fact, most royals don’t bother with prenuptial
agreements because even if they did get divorced, there’s no way of their
former spouses accessing the royal fortune.
According to Forbes, the British royal family is worth
around $88 billion, with the queen’s net worth at right around $500 million
of that. But even though royal spouses enjoy the benefits of being married to
such a wealthy family, it doesn’t mean the money ever belongs to them.
For example, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex currently reside at Frogmore Cottage — though they did say they’ll be splitting their time between there and North America. If the couple divorces, they wouldn’t get to sell the property and split the profits because it never technically belonged to them in the first place.
The property is owned by the Crown Estate, which is overseen by Queen Elizabeth.
Prenups aren’t enforced in the United Kingdom
American royal fans might be surprised to find that
prenuptial agreements aren’t
legally binding in the United Kingdom anyway, so getting one is more of a formality
than anything. However, when a huge difference of assets exists between a couple,
it can be a wise decision to draw up paperwork that may be used during divorce
proceedings.
The royal family knows there is no way for Meghan to get a
chunk of their money if she and Prince Harry divorce. But she could be entitled
to some of Harry’s
personal fortune, which comes from his inheritance and other personal assets.
It’s all going to depend on how good her lawyer is at arguing the case.
Or, they might stay together forever, which would make this
entire speculation moot. We can only hope!
Let’s block ads! (Why?)