(3) The effect of a person’s failure to comply with subsection (1) is that the person and the person’s descendants from the marriage are disqualified from succeeding to the Crown.
(4) The Royal Marriages Act 1772 (which provides that, subject to certain exceptions, a descendant of King George II may marry only with the consent of the Sovereign) is repealed.
(5) A void marriage under that Act is to be treated as never having been void if—
- (a) neither party to the marriage was one of the 6 persons next in the line of succession to the Crown at the time of the marriage,
- (b) no consent was sought under section 1 of that Act, or notice given under section 2 of that Act, in respect of the marriage,
- (c) in all the circumstances it was reasonable for the person concerned not to have been aware at the time of the marriage that the Act applied to it, and
- (d) no person acted, before the coming into force of this section, on the basis that the marriage was void.
(6) Subsection (5) applies for all purposes except those relating to the succession to the Crown.
4Consequential amendments etc
(1) The Schedule contains consequential amendments.
(2) References (however expressed) in any enactment to the provisions of the Bill of Rights or the Act of Settlement relating to the succession to, or possession of, the Crown are to be read as including references to the provisions of this Act.
(3) The following enactments (which relate to the succession to, and possession of, the Crown) are subject to the provision made by this Act—
- Article II of the Union with Scotland Act 1706;
- Article II of the Union with England Act 1707;
- Article Second of the Union with Ireland Act 1800;
- Article Second of the Act of Union (Ireland) 1800.
5Commencement and short title
(1) This section comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.
(2) The other provisions of this Act come into force on such day and at such time as the Lord President of the Council may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.
(3) Different days and times may be appointed for different purposes.
(4) This Act may be cited as the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.
