Meghan Markle: Citizenship and Religious Conversion

[PetticoatLane]

If fast tracking caused significant criticism in tiny Luxembourg, which from what I've seen has the kind of compliant press that the British RF could only dream of, you can only imagine how badly it would go down here.

As soon as it would happen you'd see the papers and social media splashing any number of sob stories around about nurses who've worked decades in the NHS not getting similar treatment, or interpreters in Afghanistan who worked with the British Armed Forces having to wait longer, or 80 year old Jamaican grannies who are denied citizenship and can't go to the wedding of their grandchildren etc. etc. etc.

No British government would touch this with a 40ft pole IMO. They would open themselves to enormous criticism with no apparent gain for themselves.

Alternatively, Meghan going through the normal process and then going to her local town hall and swearing allegiance to HM with other new citizens would be a PR triumph for her personally and the BRF.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Ista

Well, we'll see what is eventually meant by "normal process." If she does have to jump through all the hoops, and is not in any way fast-tracked, it will certainly be very interesting to follow, especially when it comes to how she reports income, gifts, etc. The implications of the children possibly also having dual citizenship seems like a terrible idea, but that also will be interesting to watch. Time will tell.

The children can of course also renounce their US citizenship as British politicians such as Boris Johnson did in the past. I agree though that it would be better if they were not born as dual nationals.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

The children can of course also renounce their US citizenship as British politicians such as Boris Johnson did in the past. I agree though that it would be better if they were not born as dual nationals.

Not until they are 18. That's the tricky part. Meghan can renounce any time after her obtains UK citizenship. However, all children born to her before then will not be able to renounce until they are the age of majority. Let's say she has a child in 2019, and gets her citizenship in 2024. She can renounce in 2024, but the child can't. The parents can't do it on behalf of the child either. The only way her children wouldn't have dual citizenship is if she has them after she becomes a UK citizen and renounces. But given her age, I highly doubt they'd wait until then.

Like I said, if they are worried about possibly setting up trust fund for the children and tax issues, there was ways to get around it. But it's matter of optics. How would the British public feel if they found out the assets set up for the children are held in US and doesn't pay UK taxes, but pays US taxes? And how would they feel the 6th in line and possibly more to the throne being also citizen of another country?

[Lady Nimue]

This is not a new situation. How did they handle this decades ago when a BRF member married foreign royalty? How did that go? For example, if William married Madeleine of Sweden years ago, how would it have been handled with Madeleine?

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Lady Nimue

This is not a new situation. How did they handle this decades ago when a BRF member married foreign royalty?

Before January 1, 1983, the law gave foreign women marrying British men the right to British citizenship.

British Nationality Act 1948
British Nationality Act 1981

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

Before January 1, 1983, the law gave foreign women marrying British men the right to British citizenship.

British Nationality Act 1948
British Nationality Act 1981

And the last foreign princess to marry into the BRF was Princess Marina in 1934.

[Curbside]

What are permanent residents allowed to do in the U.K.? Here, they can even serve in the armed forces, which one could argue is more consequential than the PR role Meghan will have.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Humbugged

It's because while she is still a US citizen and liable for tax in the US the IRS have the right to dig into whatever joint finances her and Harry will have and whatever allowance she ends up getting from the family

I somehow doubt the government will be happy for the US IRS to have access to sensitive information that the public doesn't either.

As a member of the Commonwealth, I find the idea of Meghan "representing the Queen and UK government" kind of weird when she isn't even a citizen. Will the government of the UK find it okay share the personal sort of information required? I guess we can only wait and see.

[Ista]

(..)

I'm also wondering a bit who is going to be paying for her wardrobe in the future, especially with the weird tax situation she will face as long as she has to file US taxes.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Ista

I'm also wondering a bit who is going to be paying for her wardrobe in the future, especially with the weird tax situation she will face as long as she has to file US taxes.

It will be Duchy of Cornwall as the Cambridges and Harry are support by now. Her clothing isn't for her own benefit. It's for her to wear during royal engagements. All of that goes through their offices instead of her personally.

[Ista]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

It will be Duchy of Cornwall as the Cambridges and Harry are support by now. Her clothing isn't for her own benefit. It's for her to wear during royal engagements. All of that goes through their offices instead of her personally.

I know all that, my comment was simply about the oddness of having an allowance for clothing which allows her to do the job she will have married into, but having to report it to another government as income. It's just a weird situation.

Edited to add: I wonder if she could avoid that by continuing to pay for her own clothing out of her savings until she achieves UK citizenship. Probably OT for this thread, though.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Ista

I know all that, my comment was simply about the oddness of having an allowance for clothing which allows her to do the job she will have married into, but having to report it to another government as income. It's just a weird situation.

Edited to add: I wonder if she could avoid that by continuing to pay for her own clothing out of her savings until she achieves UK citizenship. Probably OT for this thread, though.

My point is, she won't have to report it as income as it isn't for her own benefit. Even for those that do make money off of say photoshoots, any clothes they purchased for it is deducted as expenses. So it's a wash in the end anyways.

And to ask her to pay for her own wardrobe for engagements for the next however many years is just odd. She had to quit her job, which took away her income, and now she's to put in her own money? Even if there is a tax effect, that won't be how this is handled.

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

My point is, she won't have to report it as income as it isn't for her own benefit. Even for those that do make money off of say photoshoots, any clothes they purchased for it is deducted as expenses. So it's a wash in the end anyways.

And to ask her to pay for her own wardrobe for engagements for the next however many years is just odd. She had to quit her job, which took away her income, and now she's to put in her own money?

Agree. I'd question that big-time. Not going to be. No reason for it to be.

[jacqui24]

I'm a CPA.

[Ista]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I'm a CPA.

Now, that's extremely interesting that Meghan shouldn't have any problems accepting money for clothing, since I thought all gifts and compensation would need to be reported. Ah, the wonders of the US tax system.

[Juliette2]

Originally Posted by Ista

I'm also wondering a bit who is going to be paying for her wardrobe in the future, especially with the weird tax situation she will face as long as she has to file US taxes.

She will have filed and paid taxes in the US last week for 2017. Beginning next year she will pay taxes in the UK where she now a resides. There are agreements between the two countries. She has to pay taxes in the US from now on ONLY if what she pays in the UK is less that what she would have paid in the US. Now that I think about it, it is also possible that she has actually filed her tax returns in Canada...

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Ista

Now, that's extremely interesting that Meghan shouldn't have any problems accepting money for clothing, since I thought all gifts and compensation would need to be reported. Ah, the wonders of the US tax system.

It depends on how it's structured and what it's for. Anything she's given or if she's loaned jewelry on her wedding or any private event in her life would be. However, her clothes for public engagements carried out on behalf of the royal family isn't for her own benefit. My guess for the young royals is that any Duchy money that pays for their office and public wardrobe likely flushes through their offices, or they'd have to deal with it on their own UK tax returns. Last I remembered, the members of royal family do pay taxes now, but I'm not familiar with UK tax laws.

I could go into more details about this and give example. But you are right, let's move this to citizenship thread.

[Ista]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

It depends on how it's structured and what it's for. Anything she's given or if she's loaned jewelry on her wedding or any private event in her life would be. However, her clothes for public engagements carried out on behalf of the royal family isn't for her own benefit. My guess for the young royals is that any Duchy money that pays for their office and public wardrobe likely flushes through their offices, or they'd have to deal with it on their own UK tax returns. Last I remembered, the members of royal family do pay taxes now, but I'm not familiar with UK tax laws.

I could go into more details about this and give example. But you are right, let's move this to citizenship thread.

Oh, good, the thread got moved. You said you could give some examples: do you have time to do that? I'd be especially interested in how things like jewelry loans (say a tiara for a state dinner) would be handled, and how things like her housing would work.

[Rudolph]

If the IRS gets involved in jewellery loans Meghan will have to buy her own things.

I can’t see the BRF opening up it’s books to a foreign government just because Meghan is American. That’s her ‘issue’ to deal with.

[royal rob]

Originally Posted by Rudolph

If the IRS gets involved in jewellery loans Meghan will have to buy her own things.

I can’t see the BRF opening up it’s books to a foreign government just because Meghan is American. That’s her ‘issue’ to deal with.

There is no way they would do that. Her people ( lawyers Etc )would need to sort that out.