Marriage Act 1949

A new monarch who is a divorcee would once have scandalised. But Charles' accession shows how much has changed

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Tuesday, May 2, 2023
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King Charles III is the first British monarch who has previously had a civil marriage and a civil divorce.

Key Points: 
  • King Charles III is the first British monarch who has previously had a civil marriage and a civil divorce.
  • In 1981, Charles, then the Prince of Wales, married Lady Diana Spencer in a fairytale wedding watched by 750 million people worldwide.
  • However, the royal couple separated in 1992 and they were divorced in 1996.
  • Read more:
    King Charles, defender of faith: what the monarchy's long relationship with religion may look like under the new sovereign

Royal divorces

    • King George IV was almost successful in divorcing his wife Queen Caroline in 1820.
    • While Charles was in a similar position to his great-uncle in his marriage to Camilla, they lived in different worlds.
    • Queen Elizabeth called 1992 the “annus horribilis” (horrible year) for the royal family.
    • Read more:
      Australia has a new head of state: what will Charles be like as king?

Royal civil marriage

    • There was controversy at the time whether a member of the royal family could legally marry in a civil ceremony.
    • The British government released a statement declaring Charles could legally enter into a civil marriage.
    • The civil marriage of Charles and Camilla symbolised the changing values of society.

A modern monarchy

    • But Charles embodies the modern character of monarchy and the liberal values of wider society.
    • Read more:
      Beheaded and exiled: the two previous King Charleses bookended the abolition of the monarchy

      Yet Charles is also pushing for a modern monarchy.

    • The monarchy faces a tension between modernity and tradition.