Prince Harry Refused a Prenup for a Sweet Reason — But What Happens if He Divorces Meghan?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been married for seven years and are blessed with two beautiful children. According to a friend of the Duke, Harry did not have Markle sign a prenup before their nuptials. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained that prenuptial agreements hold little weight in royal marriages, as most of the assets belong to the monarch, rather than the royal getting married.
Reports of the Sussexes declining a prenup first surfaced in 2018, when the Daily Mail revealed that Harry did not want his soon-to-be wife to sign one. Editor Richard Eden claimed that one of the Prince’s friends told him, “He’s determined that his marriage will be a lasting one, so there’s no need for him to sign anything.” Eden’s claims were echoed by Nicholl, who spoke to Town & Country magazine, saying, “It’s commonplace with celebrity marriage, but this is not a celebrity marriage, it’s a royal marriage.” She also noted that Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the late Queen’s four children, hadn't signed a prenuptial agreement. Royal author Duncan Larcombe chimed in and revealed that since the late Queen owned the majority of the royal assets, they were not at stake. He explained, “You wouldn’t need a prenuptial agreement to stop Windsor Castle from being cut in half in the event they divorce, because it’s not Harry’s.”
UK-based family law attorney Julian Hawkhead also told Us Weekly that if the Sussexes were to break up, Markle would not be entitled to half. He explained, "Her financial claims would increase over the years, though not through any formula or incrementally year by year, but one would expect a wife in Meghan’s position to have greater financial claims after a 10-year marriage than after a two-year marriage.” Harry had also gifted his wife a ring made from diamonds from his late mother's collection. Commenting on his emotional gift, the lawyer added, "I would expect that Princess Diana’s jewels may be owned by a trust, and that the diamonds in Meghan’s ring might not therefore belong to Meghan." As for the Duke’s net worth, it is estimated to be around $60 million, thanks to his inheritance from Princess Diana and his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. Meanwhile, Markle stands equal to her husband, both in net worth and in her marriage, thanks to her many business ventures since her royal exit.
Shedding further light, Larcombe revealed that if the Sussexes were to divorce, the majority of negotiations would happen outside of court. He added, “In the modern history of the royal family, the divorce is described as amicable for PR reasons…and the person who is departing the royal family, they’re just looked after, and those arrangements are not done through court, they’re done behind closed doors.” For example, when Diana separated from Prince Charles in 1996, she is reported to have received £17.5 million (then $26.95 million) in settlement. She was also permitted to continue living in Kensington Palace with William and Harry and offered royal security, which she refused.
The Daily Mail also reports that even though prenups are taken into account in U.K. divorces, they’re not legally binding in the country. According to Cosmopolitan, while divorced royal members can remarry, the situation is very tricky. It explained why Charles and Queen Camilla married in a civil ceremony, as a religious ceremony for a divorcee would be controversial. Divorced royals can also keep their royal titles until they remarry someone else. However, they would have to forgo their HRH (His/Her Highness) royal title, which also happened when Harry and Markle, though not divorced, stepped down as senior royals in 2020.