How to mary a prince?

Prince Harry's relationship with former actress Meghan Markle took a major turn in November 2017 when they officially announced their engagement, and the two walked down the aisle in a stunning ceremony on May 19, 2018. Realistically, though, zero bells would have been ringing for the couple if Meghan had not impressed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II — and Harry hadn't gotten it in writing.

On March 14, two months before their wedding day, the queen gave her formal consent for Harry and Meghan's marriage, declaring, "My Lords, I declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between My Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle, which Consent I am causing to be signified under the Great Seal and to be entered in the Books of the Privy Council."

Due to the Royal Marriages Act 1772, the monarch has the right to veto the marriage of a member of his or her family and is required to give formal consent to any family marriages in order to guard against those that could "diminish the status of the royal house." The fact that Meghan is a divorcée — she was married to Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013 — had been widely speculated to hurt her chances, but it actually wouldn't have (and obviously didn't). Not only have modern royal marriage rules become more lax than in previous years, but the queen has technically dealt with that kind of drama before, dating all the way back to the public divorce of her younger sister, Princess Margaret, in 1978.

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While the Royal Marriages Act originally meant that all royal family members needed consent from Queen Elizabeth in order to marry, a change in the law in 2013 now only applies to the six people closest in line to the throne who need to seek out the queen's permission before popping the question. With the birth of Charlotte in May 2015, Princess Beatrice of York became seventh in line and her sister Eugenie slid down to eighth. They can essentially marry whoever they want without checking with their grandmother first; Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, and didn't need to get her granny's permission in writing before the big day. And when Prince William and Kate Middleton's third child, Prince Louis, arrived in April, Prince Andrew earned the right to do the same.

Before proposing to Kate Middleton in October 2010, Prince William had to get the thumbs up from Queen Elizabeth, and according to BBC News, she "readily gave her consent." Elizabeth signed an detailed notice of approval to the union of "Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, K.G. and Our Trusty and Well-beloved Catherine Elizabeth Middleton." The notice was dated Feb. 9, 2011, just two months before Kate and William tied the knot.

When Harry decided to propose to Meghan, he needed to earn the queen's blessing; and if she had objected to Meghan as a worthy wife or felt that she wasn't a good addition to the family, she has the right to rule their marriage "invalid." That's right — Harry's grandma could literally have said "Nah" and his plans to tie the knot would have come crashing down.

It's not something she has ever done, and she likely wouldn't have started with an American actress. Contrary to popular belief, there are no rules that require a prince to marry someone of royal or aristocratic blood, or even a British citizen (and in the case of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, an incoming royal can even be divorced) — but religion is where it gets dicey. There is no legal barrier that keeps a royal from marrying someone of Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim faith, or even an atheist, but under the Act of Settlement of 1701, no one in the direct line of succession could marry a Catholic and keep their right to the throne. This is because the monarch also serves as Head of the Protestant Anglican Church of England, which was established back in the 16th century by Henry VIII. In 2015, amendments were made that now allow royal family members to marry a Roman Catholic and become king or queen — however, a Roman Catholic royal still cannot become the monarch. For instance, if Prince George marries a Catholic and raises his children in that faith, they could be prohibited from taking the throne.

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Where her divorce is concerned, Meghan didn't have to be too worried. There have been a handful of royal family members who have past marriages and those who have carried on relationships with divorcées. Perhaps most famous was Elizabeth's uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry his divorced American socialite mistress Wallis Simpson, which resulted in Elizabeth's father George VI becoming king. In the '50s, the queen's sister, Princess Margaret, ended her relationship with divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend in favor of her royal status (and went on to get divorced some 30 years later). And as we all know, the queen's eldest son Prince Charles split from Princess Diana and went on to marry his mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles. It was Elizabeth who, likely fed up with doing damage control for Charles and Diana's extramarital affairs, urged the couple to divorce. In December 1995, Buckingham Palace announced that the queen had written separate letters to the couple advising them that "an early divorce is desirable" — an unprecedented move at the time. Their divorce was finalized in August 1996, but as the mother of heirs to the throne, Diana remained an official member of the royal family until her death the following year.

• Finding a prince to marry.
• Feel free to pursue (almost) any occupation that interests you.
• Be tactful, poised, and demure - but also have a sense of humour.
• Have an understanding of fashion and style.
• Be careful with social media.
• Have an interest in charity.
• Be ambitious but respectful.

For the past few months, rumors have been swirling about Prince Harry possibly getting engaged to his girlfriend, Suits star Meghan Markle. The redheaded prince, who was formerly known for his notorious playboy behavior, finally seems ready to settle down. And though the Queen has approved of Markle and Harry's courtship, will she give her blessing for a royal marriage? With the thought of another royal wedding on the horizon, here's what you need to know about marrying into the British royal family.

Meghan Markle may have all the requirements to make a great royal, but there is one little catch: The actress has been married before. According to King George III's Royal Marriages Act of 1772, senior members of the royal families cannot marry someone who is divorced — or Catholic, for that matter.

Marrying divorcées has been frowned upon by the British royal family for decades. In 1936, Edward VIII famously abdicated from the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was not only divorced, but also still married to her second husband during the couple's love affair. Edward's parents, King George V and Queen Mary, did not approve of the relationship and refused to meet Simpson. When George V died, the government and Prime Minister Baldwin denied Edward permission to marry Simpson, leaving him to choose between the crown and the love of his life.

In 2013, the traditional Royal Marriages Act was repealed in favor of the Successions to the Crown Act. The new act means that only the first six in line to the throne need the Queen's permission in order to marry. If she objects to an individual, the marriage will not happen. In 2005, the Queen granted her son, Prince Charles, permission to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, despite the fact that Camilla had been divorced and was also Charles' mistress. Today, Markle shouldn't have to worry about much.

The Royal Marriages Act of 1772 also prohibited the marriage of royal family members to commoners (anyone not of noble blood). But now, as long as the Queen approves of the individual marrying into the family, then the marriage is considered valid, whether the person is of noble blood or not. Unlike Lady Diana Spencer, Charles' first wife, Camilla Parker Bowles was not only divorced, but also a commoner, whose marriage had to be approved by the Queen. Another famous commoner to marry into the royal family is none other than Kate Middleton. Kate became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge after her marriage to Prince William in 2011.

If a British queen marries, her husband is known as a king consort, but does not become king. In the case of Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Phillip, because he is Greek, he cannot hold the title as King. Philip is Prince Philip in the same way that Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who was German, was prince consort. When a British king marries, his wife is called queen consort, rather than princess. If William becomes king, the Duchess of Cambridge will hold the title of Queen Consort. If Markle does in fact marry Prince Harry in the near future, then, like Kate Middleton, Markle will be a Duchess. There has only been one exception to this rule and it was for William III and Mary II, who jointly ruled England from 1689 until Mary's death in 1694.

The Royal Family, while they are political representations of their country, refrain from participating in most political events, like voting and running for any form of public office. Though the family is technically allowed to vote, they choose not to participate because it would be considered unconstitutional. By not voting and remaining somewhat politically neutral, this helps to keep up the appearance of the Royal Family's public role, which is based on being able to identify with and relate to all sections of society.

Don't even think about calling the Duchess of Cambridge by her former nickname, "Kate," or calling the Queen "Lizzie." When addressing royals, you must call them by their full title or simply by "Ma'am" or "Sir." If referring to the Duchess, her title would be "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge" and her husband's would be "His Royal Highness, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge." And while the Queen's title is much longer, a simple "your majesty" is allowed.

If you're a fan of the classic board game, you'd have to give that up if you become a member of the royal family. As crazy as it sounds, in 2008, Prince Andrew Duke of York, Prince Charles' younger brother, banned playing Monopoly with the Royal Family at home because it reportedly became "too vicious." And vicious behavior doesn't seem to fall under royal etiquette.

In the past, the royal family was advised not eat shellfish to avoid possible food poisoning and any allergic reactions. But today, there's a lot more fluidity to this rule. While the Queen Elizabeth reportedly still abstains from eating shellfish, Prince Charles is known to enjoy some shellfish every once and while.

When the Queen stands, you stand. When the queen sits, you sit. The same goes for dining. When the Queen eats, you eat and when the Queen decides she is done with her dinner, then the meal is finished. When dining at a royal dinner table, the Queen decides how long the meal a will last — so if you're hungry, you better hope she is, too.

After becoming a member of the royal family, your title and your place of rank within the family becomes your way of life. When making public appearances and during processionals (such as weddings, parades, etc.), the royal family must always be in royal ranking order. The same goes for the seating at a royal banquet. The ranking order is determined by whoever is next in line to the throne. Currently, the order leads with the current reigning monarch, Elizabeth II, who is followed by her husband, Prince Philip, then Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and lastly Prince Harry. Maybe Markle will join Harry's side in the royal ranks soon!

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LONDON (Reuters) - Want to follow in Kate Middleton’s footsteps and marry a prince?

Well forget kissing frogs and try playing tennis or putting your party shoes on.

Social network site Badoo (www.badoo.com) has come up with the “Seven Golden Rules” on how to find a prince, after conducting a study of 107 royal romances since World War II.

It said the best strategy is to work in the media or showbusiness, attend university -- ideally Cambridge, think sporty -- ideally tennis, get your party shoes on and target Europe, namely Monaco or Scandinavia.

“Until now, the only known strategy for meeting a prince has been to kiss lots of frogs,” Lloyd Price, director of marketing at Badoo said. “We have produced the first practical strategy based on analysis of hard data.”

As Middleton met Britain’s Prince William while studying at St Andrews university, Badoo said university was the “new royal marriage market.”

“Target a top university, since princes are more likely to attend one. Best of all, target Cambridge, the only university in Badoo’s study to produce two royal romances,” it said.

European princes are far more likely to romance both commoners and foreigners than are princes elsewhere, Badoo said.

“Only 6 percent of the European princes in Badoo’s study romanced women who were fellow royals, compared to 26 percent of princes globally.”

Parties are also key for finding a future royal spouse.

“Parties are the new frogs. The more you attend, the better your odds of meeting a prince,” it said. “Of course, all parties are not equal. The best are those thrown by mutual friends.”

You can also find your prince through sports: “Either playing or attending sport is a good way to meet princes, especially European ones.

“But some sports -- like polo, swimming or, best of all, tennis -- offer better prospects than others, such as, say, beach volleyball or darts.”

Thanks to fairytales like Cinderella, countless little girls dream of marrying princes and becoming princesses - and Meghan Markle just made that a reality.

As it turns out, marrying a prince and living happily ever after is no longer a dream confined only to fairytales. We are now in a time in a more enlightened era of history where princes can choose their own brides, meaning if you’ve always fantasised about becoming a princess, you now have a chance.

We spoke to Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator and royalty expert, who helped us come up with these eight rules for finding your own prince charming.

If you dream of one day becoming a princess, then you must first find a prince to marry. The most important step on this list because “now is the time for the budding princes to be to looking around for love,” Mr Fitzwilliams shared with us two suggestions for finding a prince to snag. The first is rather fool-proof, but requires a mutual friend or shared connection between you and your future betrothed.

If you don’t have a mutual friend with royalty on speed-dial, Mr Fitzwilliams suggests high profile events like the Olympics. Individual royals will be in attendance to represent their countries, and you may just happen to bump into your future husband.

While there have been instances where princes have met their future brides at random places such as a rock concert, Mr Fitzwilliams insists "these chance meetings are pure luck and you shouldn’t rely on them if you are serious about your endeavour."

According to Mr Fitzwilliams, commoners-turned-princesses come from various backgrounds, and there is no one occupation that makes you more likely to become a princess. That being said, there have been multiple former actresses who have married into royalty, including: film star Rita Hayworth who married Prince Aly Khan, Olivia Wilde, who was briefly married to Italian prince Tao Ruspoli, and Grace Kelly who married the prince of Monaco.

Meghan Markle will be the latest to join the ranks of actresses turned royalty.

However, you should stay clear of occupations that may be considered distasteful - although Sweden had no problem when Prince Carl Philip married former reality TV star and topless dancer Sofia Hellqvist, other royal families may have been less accepting of the princess’s past. Take for example Prince Andrew who made headlines and drew criticism when he briefly dated soft-core erotic film actress, Kathleen “Koo” Stark.

Always the picture perfect example of how to behave like a princess, Kate Middleton seems like she was born for the royal lifestyle. Mr Fitzwilliams said, "Princess Kate is perfect at it. She is very consistent and totally reliable, but also has a sense of humour, which she used to capture Prince William's attention." He reminded us that Princess Kate met Prince William when he attended a fashion show she was walking in - dressed in a see-through dress- which brings us to our next point...

While there will be people to help you once you’ve become a princess, dressing the part is an extremely important aspect of landing a prince. A future princess must know what is appropriate attire for a variety of occasions and be able to draw only positive attention to her outfit choices. As a future princess, the world is watching, and it is important to make a good impression.

As a princess or future princess, "living in the age of social media, you must be exceptionally careful and discreet. You really have to make sure that stuff doesn't get leaked to the papers" because you do not want to make headlines for behaviour, online or otherwise, that could be considered inappropriate. Be aware of what you post online, as well as who you trust. Mr Fitzwilliams recommends posting nothing online that you wouldn’t want discovered later, as nothing can ruin a royal engagement faster than a scandal.

Many princes work with charities or organisations that deal with topics they feel strongly about. For example, Prince William and Prince Harry are admired for their considerable charitable work and dedication to helping others. If you want to capture a prince’s heart, it would be a good idea to be involved in charity or have an interest in the specific prince’s charity of choice. At the very least, a shared interest in charity means you already have something in common with your future prince.

Snagging a prince is quite an achievement and one that could take years to accomplish, especially if you are a commoner. But if you are successful in capturing the heart of a prince, you must also be able to gain the respect and approval of the royal family. Positive relations with the King or Queen are essential to becoming a princess, reminds Mr Fitzwilliam, and so quite a bit of charm is necessary; "The way you behave will determine if your prince is able to marry you." That being said, you must also be aware and respectful of your status in the royal family. Being a successful princess means not competing with the prince but rather complementing him as his counterpart. "Do not compete with your prince for the spotlight."