Prince Harry of Wales is the younger son of Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Diana of Wales. He is fifth in line of succession to the British Throne.
Harry is known world-wide for his playboy/bad boy behavior as well as his military career and his charitable foundations. He was also known as a very eligible bachelor – until Meghan Markle came along.
Meghan Markle is an American citizen; born and raised in Los Angeles. She is an actress currently starring in a television series called “Suits.” (The show is about lawyers, thus the “suits.”)
On November 27, 2017, Kensington Palace announced that Harry and Meghan were engaged to be married. They plan to marry in May of 2018, and live in England. Meghan also plans to become a British citizen.
Not to be outdone in royal wedding news, celebrity website TMZ speculated what would happen to their assets if they divorced. TMZ even hired Jeremy D. Morley, an international law lawyer who is knowledgeable in British divorce law, to explain what would happen to the couple’s assets if they divorced.
According to TMZ, Harry has a net worth of $40 million and Meghan has a net worth of $5 million. Harry also receives income from Prince Charles’s private estate. Since Meghan is a Hollywood actress, she may also receive residuals she from her acting career prior to her marriage. (She is giving up her acting career upon marriage to perform the job of British royal princess.)
If they divorce, according to Morley, the assets each person brought into the marriage, can be divided up in the divorce. Although British law recognizes pre-nuptial agreements, it is up to the court whether to enforce the agreement.
If the couple were to become residents of California and then decide to divorce, British law would not apply.
In California, the separate properties of each party – and any assets derived from their separate properties - would remain the sole property of that party. (There are exceptions, such as when one party makes a gift of property to the other spouse.) If the couple has a pre-nuptial agreement, the California court will recognize it – if the document itself is in compliance with California law. (California pre-nuptial agreements can be very technical, and it’s always in both parties’ best interest to have their agreement made with the help of competent legal advisors.)
Unlike both their parents’ marriages which ended in divorce, here’s hoping that the royal marriage of Harry and Meghan be a match made in heaven and that they live happily ever after together until death do they part…