London, April 27: How tall is the London Eye? Who opened Britain’s first Indian restaurant? Who was the fifth wife of Henry VIII? If Meghan Markle doesn’t already know the answers, she needs to start studying.
All three are potential questions on a test given to those who – like Prince Harry’s fiancée – want to become British citizens. Kensington Palace says the California-born Markle intends to take UK citizenship after she marries Harry on May 19 at Windsor Castle.
But Markle will soon discover that it takes more than marrying a prince to become British. It also requires time, money, a good memory for obscure British trivia and the ability to untangle red tape. Immigration lawyer Colin Yeo says the road to British citizenship is “insanely complex.” “It’s very easy to make mistakes because the requirements are so very precise,” he said.
Britain’s royal family has become a lot more welcoming to American divorcees since the last time one tried to join the clan. When King Edward VIII wanted to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, it sparked a constitutional crisis. The king abdicated in 1936, saying he could not reign “without the help and support of the woman I love.” But while Britain is rolling out the welcome mat for Markle, it has placed ever-bigger hurdles in the way of less well-connected or well-funded immigrants.
Britain’s Conservative government tightened immigration rules in 2012 to help it meet a self-imposed target of reducing net immigration to less than 100,000 people a year. (It’s currently over 200,000). The target was set at a time when public attitudes to immigration were hardening. A desire to cut immigration was a major factor for many in the UK who voted in 2016 for Britain to leave the European Union.
But critics say the immigration rules are rigid and unfair, giving the affluent an advantage over the less well-off. Non-EU citizens who marry Britons typically must obtain a spousal visa, then live in the U.K. for five years before they can apply for permanent-resident status or citizenship.
To get her visa, the 36-year-old Markle will have to provide evidence that her relationship with Harry is genuine and she really is divorced from her first husband, Trevor Engelson. She also must show that Harry earns at least 18,600 pounds ($26,000) a year or has 62,500 pounds ($87,100) in savings, and can provide accommodation “without recourse to public funds.” That shouldn’t be a problem for this particular couple – who can also afford the fees, which can amount to almost 7,000 pounds ($9,760) during the process.
Associated Press
