Legal Requirements – Law and Marriage Who may many whom is an issue that is important in most civilizations the world over. Some traditions are keen to keep the purity of the race unsullied; in these cases it may be illegal, or unpopular, to marry someone outside your own tribe, race, caste or even family. We can see the legacy of this idea in royal marriages; in most countries with royal families there is a restriction on whom the monarch or heir to the throne may or may not marry. In other traditions the laws are concerned with preventing inbreeding, and in these cases it is illegal to marry someone who is closely related. These are called the laws of consanguinity. In England in the 14th century the laws of consanguinity were so complex that it was a veritable minefield trying to find someone that you could marry. (more…)