A future monarch or heir to the throne in Sweden wouldn’t have to give up their royal role if they were to contract a same sex marriage.
The Marshall of the Realm confirmed that a same sex union would not be a bar to succession, just days after the Dutch Prime Minister issued a statement along similar lines.
Aftonbladet newspaper reported that Marshal Fredrik Wersäll had looked at the rules surrounding royal marriage which stipulate that a prince or princess must have the government’s consent to marry if they are to retain their place in the line of succession. He has concluded that a same sex marriage would not be treated any differently and would only require the consent of the government, at the request of the monarch.
His decision follows an announcement by Mark Rutte who said last week that a future Dutch monarch or heir could enter into a same sex union. His comments came after a new book asked whether the current first in line to the throne, Princess Catharina-Amalia, could become queen if she married another woman. Mark Rutte said ””The government believes that the heir can also marry a person of the same sex.” He also addressed the succession status of children born to a same sex royal couple, saying ”it’s just very dependent on the facts and circumstances of the specific case, as you can see by looking back at how family law can change over time.”
Same sex marriage is now legal in most of the European countries which still retain monarchies. However, so far, only the Netherlands and Sweden have openly stated that same sex marriage would not be a bar to the throne or succession rights.
