Prince Harry Refused to Get a Prenup When He Married Meghan Markle — Was He Being Naive?
No one wants to think about divorce but when it comes to the royal family, it’s an unfortunate reality. Queen Elizabeth has four children and only one of them is still married to their first spouse. Statistically, royals are more likely to divorce than average citizens.
But apparently love won out over reason when Prince Harry proposed to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Rather than taking the traditional route of millionaires and protecting his assets via a prenuptial agreement, Harry opted to believe his love was eternal.
Did Prince Harry make a huge mistake marrying Meghan without a prenuptial agreement?
Most royals don’t get prenups, but courtiers recommended one for Prince Harry
Rich celebrities usually get prenups to protect their wealth but that’s not the same for the royal family. Still, there’s a rumor that the royal courtiers did suggest that the Duke of Sussex sign one before marrying Meghan. Harry’s friend allegedly said he refused because he knew they wouldn’t ever split up.
“He’s determined that his marriage will be a lasting one, so there’s no need for him to sign anything,” an unnamed friend told Daily Mail. Even without a prenup, however, Meghan isn’t entitled to very much.
Prince Harry’s assets are mostly protected
One reason royal family members don’t get prenups is that most of their wealth belongs to the Crown Estate and therefore wouldn’t be eligible to count as assets after the dissolution of marriage. It’s not the same as divorces in America where assets often get divided evenly between divorcing spouses.
Also, the United Kingdom operates a bit differently from the United States and prenuptial agreements are not legally binding there, though they can be used during divorce proceedings to help inform how assets are split.
Princess Diana received a lump sum of around $22.5 million in her divorce settlement plus a $600,000 salary to pay for her private office. That only sounds like a lot until you consider that the royal family overall is worth around $88 billion.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get divorced?
Of course, there is no need to worry about a prenuptial agreement or division of assets if Harry and Meghan stay together forever. Unfortunately, the odds are against them in this case.
It goes beyond just the fact that divorce runs in the royal family. Children of divorced parents are also statistically more likely to experience failed marriages themselves and both Harry and Meghan fall into that category.
Plus, having one divorce increased the likelihood of divorcing again. And Meghan is currently on her second marriage.
Harry and Meghan’s financial future is uncertain
Ever since stepping back as “senior” working royals, fans have been speculating on how the couple will continue making money and support their lavish lifestyles. Meghan already had a nest egg from being a moderately successful actress and Harry had his inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana.
The couple will be launching a new charitable organization and likely will be making an income from speaking engagements as well. Plus, with news of a tell-all book being released in the summer, it seems that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no need to worry about money either jointly or separately.
