Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't have full custody of their children because of this royal rule

Can you guess who will have full custody?

prince harry and meghan markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed their first child, but thanks to a bizarre royal rule, the couple won't have full custody over their own children.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in May and confirmed just a few months later that they were expecting their first child together.

The royal baby wait came to an end on May 6, when the couple announced on social media that their first child - a baby boy - had been born.

READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby’s royal title has been revealed

But while there's a few details we're still waiting to find out - such as the baby's name and location of birth - turns out there is an interesting royal rule you probably didn't know about that means the couple won't have full custody of their own child or future children.

According to a royal expert who spoke to The Sun Online, the Royal Family have an agreement whereby the Queen has full legal custody over all minor royals.

cambridge family as a five

This also means that Kate and William do not have full legal custody over Prince George, Princess Charlotte or little Prince Louis.

READ MORE: Prince Harry heartbreakingly reveals how late mum Diana would react to the birth of his child

Internationally recognised royal expert Marlene Koenig explained: 'The sovereign has legal custody of the minor grandchildren. Legislation passed during the reign of George I. It was known as The Grand Opinion for the Prerogative Concerning the Royal Family and it was about the King’s control over the education, the raising and the marriage of his grandchildren.'

She continued: '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.'

Even when the Queen dies, Kate and William will not gain legal custody of their children and neither will Prince Harry or Meghan.

Instead the legal custody would be passed on to Prince Charles, Harry and William's father.

Jessica Ransom
Senior Food Writer

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.