Primary sourceDocument1772

Royal Marriages Act 1772

1772

A law George III pushed through Parliament requiring royal family members to get the sovereign's consent before marrying.

George III personally proposed this act after his brothers' marriages, showing his direct use of royal authority over family life.

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Title page of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 (repealed) as reproduced from legislation.gov.uk. It has the UK royal coat of arms above the title and the citation '1772 CHAPTER 11 12 Geo 3'. A status banner at top notes the point-in-time view as at 26/03/2015, and an annotation states the Act was repealed on 26.3.2015 by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. — Royal Marriages Act 1772 (repealed 2015).

About this source

What it is

The Royal Marriages Act 1772 was a law passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. It required descendants of King George II to obtain the reigning monarch's consent before marrying, or the marriage would be legally invalid. It was repealed in 2015.

Why it matters

George III personally proposed this act after two of his brothers, Prince Henry and Prince William Henry, made marriages he considered highly unsuitable. The law shows how George III tried to control his family's choices to protect the status and reputation of the royal house, and it later caused serious problems, including affecting the marriages of his own sons, such as the Prince of Wales's invalid marriage to Maria Fitzherbert.

Look closer

Why might a king want legal power over his family's marriages rather than just personal influence?
What does this law reveal about the tension between personal choice and royal duty?
Why do you think this law caused criticism when it was passed?

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