The royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not have the legal custody of their future children owing to an unusual agreement within the Royal family.
A 300-year-old law states that the Queen will hold complete custody of all the minors in the Royal family. Currently, even Prince William and Kate Middleton do not have custody over their children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- as they are aged five, three and three-month-old respectively.
The law was passed in 1717 and has not been changed till date. "This goes back to King George I [who ruled in the early 1700s], and the law's never been changed," Royal historian and expert Marlene Koenig told news.com.
"He did it because he had a very poor relationship with his son, the future King George II, so they had this law passed that meant the King was the guardian of his grandchildren," she added.
Queen Elizabeth will decide where the children will get their education, vacation plans and other upbringing decisions. Koenig said that the royal family has not, however, made a huge deal out of this.
When Koenig was asked about Prince Charles, she said: "[He is] very respectful of his son's parenting. He understands they want to raise their children privately…the only thing Charles might ask for is more pictures."
Koenig added that although the Royal couple do not make a huge deal out of the law, it does have an effect on how they raise their children.
Apparently, this law came in handy when Prince Charles and Diana went through their divorce in 1996. "Neither the Wales' or Yorks' divorces dealt with actual custody of their children because of this law. Charles and Diana each saw their sons about 40 days a year after the separation. Charles and Diana certainly talked to the queen about their kids' education. The Queen was unlikely to push her views. She would respect the parents' wishes," Koenig said.
