Prince Harry refuses a prenup

After both the youngest prince and his new fiancée broke the news of their engagement to the world, Prince Harry broke even more news by announcing that he would not sign a prenuptial agreement with Meghan Markle.

On March 17, 2018, Prince Harry, 33,  refused to sign a prenuptial agreement with American actress and humanitarian, as well as future wife, Meghan Markle, 36.

A prenup or prenuptial agreement “is an agreement made between two people before marrying that establishes rights to property and support in the event of a divorce or death,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It is a document that ensures whatever assets one spouse holds during an event of separation goes to said spouse. Without a prenup, the court in the UK will split the assets 50/50.

The Royal Family has expressed their concern over this decision, mainly as the fortune of the British Royal Family amounts to£383 million or $500 million USD.

Prince Harry inherited £9.24 million ($13 million USD) from his mother, Princess Diana. Now, it’s estimated that the youngest Prince is worth£29.8 million (42 million in American dollars).

The main concern stems from the fact that Meghan Markle is a divorcee, having already been married before to director Trevor Engelson in 2011. They divorced in 2013.

A friend of the young prince told The Daily Mail, “There was never any question in Harry’s mind that he would sign a prenup.”

“He’s determined that his marriage will be a lasting one, so there’s no need for him to sign anything.”

It’s known that signing a prenuptial agreement isn’t common in the British royal family, or, even in the United Kingdom.

Ingrid Seward, a prominent and respected writer on the British royal family, commented, “Historically, members of the royal family have not had them.”

The United Kingdom doesn’t enforce prenuptial agreements among newlyweds but during divorce trials, prenups are considered.

“I think it’s okay. It’s a good idea. I’m not really too familiar with this royal couple; I don’t really follow up on them. I think it’s a good thing that he did that,” Mrs. Hernandez, a special education assistant, said.

She continued, “…I think that it shows that he trusts her, that he loves her, that she’s always going to do the right thing by him.”