Australian Capital Territory
Royal Marriages Act 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11     
Republication No 1
Republication date: 5 July 2002

Unauthorised version prepared by ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

About this republication
The republished law
This is a republication of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11 as in force on 5 July 2002.  It includes any commencement, repeal or expiry affecting the republished law and any amendment made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 (Editorial changes).
The legislation history and amendment history of the republished law are set out in endnotes 3 and 4. 
Kinds of republications
The Parliamentary Counsel’s Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT legislation register at www.legislation.act.gov.au):
•	authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001 applies
•	unauthorised republications.
The status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.
Editorial changes
The Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 authorises the Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial amendments and other changes of a formal nature when preparing a law for republication.  Editorial changes do not change the effect of the law, but have effect as if they had been made by an Act commencing on the republication date (see Legislation Act 2001, s 115 and s 117).  The changes are made if the Parliamentary Counsel considers they are desirable to bring the law into line, or more closely into line, with current legislative drafting practice.  
This republication includes amendments made under part 11.3 (see endnote 1).
Uncommenced provisions and amendments
If a provision of the republished law has not commenced or is affected by an uncommenced amendment, the symbol  U  appears immediately before the provision heading.  The text of the uncommenced provision or amendment appears only in the last endnote.
Modifications
If a provision of the republished law is affected by a current modification, the symbol  M  appears immediately before the provision heading.  The text of the modifying provision appears in the endnotes.  For the legal status of modifications, see Legislation Act 2001, section 95.
Penalties
The value of a penalty unit for an offence against this republished law at the republication date is—
	(a)	if the person charged is an individual—$100; or
	(b)	if the person charged is a corporation—$500.

Australian Capital Territory
Royal Marriages Act 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11

Contents
	Page
	1	Certain royal marriages void	3
	2	Royal marriage after notice valid	3
Endnotes
	1	About the endnotes	4
	2	Abbreviation key	4
	3	Legislation history	5
	4	Amendment history	6

Australian Capital Territory
Royal Marriages Act 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11

An Act for the better regulating the future marriages of the Royal Family

    

Most Gracious Sovereign,
Whereas your Majesty, from your paternal affection to your own family, and from your royal concern for the future welfare of your people, and the honour and dignity of your crown was graciously pleased to recommend to your Parliament to take into their serious consideration, whether it might not be wise and expedient to supply the defect of the laws now in being, and by some new provision more effectually to guard the descendants of his late Majesty King George the Second (other than the issue of princesses who have married, or may hereafter marry, into foreign families) from marrying without the approbation of your Majesty, your heirs or successors, first had and obtained, we have taken this weighty matter into our serious consideration;
And being sensible that marriages in the royal family are of the highest importance to the State, and that therefore the kings of this realm have ever been entrusted with the care and approbation thereof, and being thoroughly convinced of the wisdom and expediency of what your Majesty has thought fit to recommend upon this occasion;

1	Certain royal marriages void
No descendant of the body of his late Majesty King George the Second, male or female, (other than the issue of princesses who have married, or may hereafter marry, into foreign families) shall be capable of contracting matrimony without the previous consent of his Majesty, his heirs or successors, signified under the great seal, and declared in council (which consent, to preserve the memory thereof, is hereby directed to be set out in the licence and register of marriage, and to be entered in the books of the Privy Council); 
and that every marriage, or matrimonial contract, of any such descendant, without such consent first had and obtained, shall be null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever.
2	Royal marriage after notice valid
Provided always that in case any such descendant of the body of his late Majesty King George the Second, being above the age of 25 years, shall persist in his or her resolution to contract a marriage disapproved of, or dissented from, by the King, his heirs or successors; 
that then such descendant, upon giving notice to the King’s Privy Council, which notice is hereby directed to be entered in the books thereof, may, at any time from the expiration of 12 calendar months after such notice given to the Privy Council as aforesaid, contract such marriage; 
and his or her marriage with the person before proposed and rejected, may be duly solemnised, without the previous consent of his Majesty, his heirs or successors; 
and such marriage shall be good, as if this Act had never been made, unless both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom shall, before the expiration of the said 12 months, expressly declare their disapprobation of such intended marriage.

Endnotes
1	About the endnotes
Amending and modifying laws are annotated in the legislation history and the amendment history.  Current modifications are not included in the republished law but are set out in the endnotes.
Not all editorial amendments made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 are annotated in the amendment history.  Full details of any amendments can be obtained from the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office.
Uncommenced amending laws and expiries are listed in the legislation history and the amendment history.  These details are underlined.  Uncommenced provisions and amendments are not included in the republished law but are set out in the last endnote.
If all the provisions of the law have been renumbered, a table of renumbered provisions gives details of previous and current numbering.  
The endnotes also include a table of earlier republications.
If the republished law includes penalties, current information about penalty unit values appears on the republication inside front cover.
2	Abbreviation key

am = amended	ord = ordinance	
amdt = amendment	orig = original	
ch = chapter	p = page	
cl = clause	par = paragraph	
def = definition	pres = present	
dict = dictionary	prev = previous	
disallowed = disallowed by the Legislative 	(prev...) = previously	
Assembly	prov = provision	
div = division	pt = part	
exp = expires/expired	r = rule/subrule	
Gaz = Gazette	reg = regulation/subregulation	
hdg = heading	renum = renumbered	
IA = Interpretation Act 1967	reloc = relocated	
ins = inserted/added	R[X] = Republication No	
LA = Legislation Act 2001	s = section/subsection	
LR = legislation register	sch = schedule	
LRA = Legislation (Republication) Act 1996	sdiv = subdivision	
mod = modified / modification	sub = substituted	
No = number	SL  = Subordinate Law	
num = numbered	underlining = whole or part not commenced	
o = order	or to be expired	
om = omitted/repealed		
3	Legislation history

This Act was originally a UK Act—Royal Marriages Act, 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11 s 1 (UK).  The Act was renamed as the Royal Marriages Act 1772 when it was first republished under the Legislation Act 2001.
The Act was in force in NSW immediately before 1 January 1911 (the date of establishment of the ACT) and was continued in force by the Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Cwlth), s 6.
Under the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910 (Cwlth), s 4 the Act had effect in the ACT as if it were an ACT law (subject to ordinances made under the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910).
The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cwlth), s 34 (4) converted most former UK laws in force in the ACT into ACT enactments. This allowed the ACT Legislative Assembly to amend and repeal the laws. This Act was converted into an ACT enactment on 11 May 1989 (self-government day).
Under the Interpretation Act 1967 (repealed), s 65 all former UK Acts in force in the ACT immediately before 10 November 1999 (including this Act) became, for all purposes, laws made by the ACT Legislative Assembly. This completed the process of making former UK Acts fully into ACT laws.
Royal Marriages Act 1772 12 Geo 3 c 11
as amended by
Imperial Acts Application Act 1986 A1986‑93 s 5 and sch 3 pt 18
notified 12 January 1987 (Cwlth Gaz 1986 No S1)
s 5 and sch 3 pt 18 commenced 12 January 1987 (s 2 (1))
4	Amendment history
The Imperial Acts Application Act 1986 (the 1986 Act), sch 3, pt 18 set out the text of this Act in an amended form and provided for the amended form to apply as the text of the Act in force in the ACT (see 1986 Act, s 5 (1), (4) and (5)).
Section 2 was amended by the 1986 Act to make it clear that only the Parliament of the UK can disapprove the intended marriage.
Section 3 was omitted by the 1986 Act.  It made it an offence to knowingly and wilfully to solemnise, or assist at or be present at the solemnisation of, a marriage that contravened sections 1 and 2.  The section was repealed in the UK in 1967.
This Act has not been amended since the enactment of the 1986 Act, except under the Legislation Act 2001.
Name of Act
	am R1 LA

Unauthorised version prepared by ACT Parliamentary Counsel's Office

©  Australian Capital Territory 2002