Prince Charles to marry Camilla Parker-Bowles

[minionofmidas]

I always thought this would be illegal (or cost him the crown) unless Mr Parker-Bowles dies first?

[minionofmidas]

The first time there was a collection of Commoners in the Parliament was in 1295. People were often passed over for the Throne in the line of succession because of disputes between Royals (esp. Father and Son) and also disputed successions that often ended in Civil War.

IIRC there was no law governing the succession until the reign of Henry VIII.

[minionofmidas]

P.S. Does any one know if kids who are born illegitimately and their parents later marry, does this legitimise them?

I have some knowledge of this issue from some cursory knowledge of probate law that I have.

Under British Probate Law (until 1969), an illegitimate child of a man was not a child at all under the Law, whereas the illegitimate child of a woman was a child under the Law.

If the father and mother subsequently married, this still did not make the father the Legal father (at least as far as probate law is concerned, other aspects of the Law may have been different). The father would have to legally adopt the child for it to be considered legally his child.

Probate Law does now recognise illegitimate children in both cases, though I don't think it applies to claims to Royal (or other Noble) titles.

That's odd. A premarital child is a legitimate child under German law. IIRC even a woman's premarital child of an (officially) unknown father is usually considered to be her next husband's child unless the couple declares that not to be the case.

[minionofmidas]

Because there was some old act of parliament from the time of Elizabeth's struggle with Mary Stuart that said so.