Princess Amalia + Co .: marriage for everyone? Royal families in need of explanation

At first it was said that Princess Amalia was not allowed to marry a woman, which caused quite a stir. After this was answered in the negative, the other European royal families found it difficult to explain. Some of the answers were surprising – negative.

Can the offspring of the royal heir to the throne marry same-sex or not? Numerous European royal families have recently been occupied with this fundamental debate – and questions and answers had to be answered. Some found it difficult to explain, which raises the question: How diverse are the monarchies really?

Royal heirs to the throne: within Europe and the question of marriage for everyone

It all began at the end of September 2021 with a statement by the Dutch politician Peter Rehwinkel, 57. In an interview on the occasion of his book publication “Amalia – De plicht roept” (Eng: “Amalia – Duty calls”), he claimed according to the daily newspaper “NRC Handelsblad” that the Dutch heir to the throne – if she wanted to – should never marry a woman.

A few weeks later, on October 12, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, 54, felt compelled to clarify in a written statement published on the government website.

In short: Amalia is allowed to marry whoever she wants, but there is still one: the succession is then not guaranteed. According to Rutte, today’s plural forms of life are “in tension with the closed system of succession to the throne enshrined in the constitution,” which provides that the firstborn of the king or queen would come first in the line of succession. In this case, the Prime Minister is considering a special solution; the individual case must then be examined.

The “answers” of the Belgian, Norwegian, Spanish and Danish royal families

A clear no looks different, but also a clear yes. This is not really surprising, because the constitutions of the entire European monarchy have not been revised and adapted, some for a number of years and some for hundreds of years. Why also, there was no need – so far. Some royal houses are still silent today, some did not want to comment, but some did. Here is an overview.

1. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium: Politicians take a stand

Probably due to the proximity of the two countries, there were the first statements from Belgium regarding the royal question of marriage for everyone. But it was not the palace that spoke up, but Jogchum Vrielink, professor of discrimination law. In an interview with the Radio 1 program “Nieuwe feiten” (in German: New Facts), he explained that for Princess Elisabeth, 20, “there is no rule regarding the sex of the spouse”.

Therefore, “the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess could also marry someone of the same sex since the opening of marriage.” The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, 45, officially confirmed this fact to the daily newspaper “Het Laatste Nieuws”.

2. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway: The palace answers thoroughly

In contrast to Belgium, the Norwegian court is an open book. When asked by the online magazine “KK” whether Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 17, could marry whoever she wanted, palace spokeswoman Guri Varpe said: “Homophilia is not dealt with in the constitution, and there are no legal provisions about whether the heir to the throne may marry. Only the succession to the throne is regulated. “

But here the same possible problem applies again as in the Netherlands – and possibly also in Belgium: the question of the missing offspring. Varpe says: “If a regent dies childless – for whatever reason – the throne goes to the next in line to the throne”. Accordingly, in the case of a same-sex marriage, Ingrid Alexandra would be left out and Prince Sverre Magnus, 15, would be the next heir to the throne.

3. Princess Leonor of Spain: many loopholes

What about Spain’s heir to the throne, Princess Leonor, 16, and her choice of partner? According to the radio station “Onda Cero”, the fact is that the Constitutional Court ruled in 2012 that the law on same-sex marriage was fully constitutional. So Leonor could marry a woman. But in that case the protocol would have to be adjusted to redefine the treatment of the monarch’s wife. The Royal Decree of 1987, amended in 2014, confirms that “the Queen’s consort is given the dignity of a prince”.

Antonio Torres del Moral, a renowned constitutional lawyer, even warns in “El Mundo” that there could be serious legal problems if Leonor wanted to marry a woman. The constitution is written in “masculine” terms and in a “masculine” spirit, he says. Even men still have priority in the line of succession. The legislators have not (yet) dealt with the question.


Princess Leonor and King Felipe

One advantage: Constitutional lawyers agree that nothing in the Spanish constitution is written about children from a marital or non-marital relationship. This can mean that Leonor’s children, if adopted or from artificial insemination, would have full inheritance rights.

4. Prince Christian of Denmark: The court is keeping a low profile

What if Prince Christian, 16, loved a man and wanted to get married? The court did not want to comment on this question, and the government has not said anything about it either. Royal expert Lars Hovbakke Sörensen does not believe that the Danish heir to the throne would easily get the approval of the royal family or the government, he told the tabloid “BT”. Hpvbakke Sörensen believes that there would be “a great discussion in politics, society and the royal family”. The royal family is more conservative and traditional than most of the population. It remains to be seen whether, in the worst-case scenario, it will really be as the Royal expert claims.

5. Princess Estelle of Sweden: Court gives opinion

She is only nine years old, but sooner or later Princess Estelle will also fall in love – maybe with a woman? That wouldn’t be a problem for the Swedish royal family, but the devil is – as so often – in the details. The palace writes in a statement according to the newspaper “Aftonbladet”:

“In the order of succession it is written that a prince or princess needs the approval of the government for the wedding in order to be able to remain in the line of succession. The order of succession is from an old time, but nowadays people of the same sex get married.”

It does not mean that Estelle has to give up her place in the line of succession, but she does need “the approval of the government and the king,” writes the court. If the consent was not given, Estelle could still marry whom she wanted, but then falls from the line of succession.

Sources used: nrc.nl, hln.be, bt.dk, elmundo.es, aftonbladet.se, Dana Press

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