Who gets to be queen consort to a British king? For centuries, the answer was simple: only a lady with regnal rank would do. But that started changing in 1893. From that date onwards, there has been something of a decline in royal brides’ status.
Consider: the prince who became King Edward VII was married to the daughter of a king, in 1863; 30 years later his son George V married the daughter of a duke; in 1923 the prince who became George VI married the daughter of an earl, as did his grandson Prince Charles in 1981. His son Prince William married a commoner descendant of the Leeds middle class and the NE England working class. It’s difficult to see a future male heir to the throne getting married to some royal princess. He’ll make a better choice.
