9. The royal family was not allowed to marry a Roman Catholic until 2011.

Reason: A royal decree enacted in 1701 during a time of war in England.
Exception: In 2011, it was ultimately overturned.
A law prohibiting Royal Family members from getting married to Roman Catholics was passed in 1701. England was a Catholic nation in the 1500s, but by 1750, it was the most powerful Protestant nation in Europe, thanks to the Reformation in the sixteenth century and the civil wars in the seventeenth century.

It was forbidden for the Royal Family to wed a Roman Catholic until 2011. ©Shutterstock/peacepix
Throughout the eighteenth century, England’s main adversaries were France and Catholic Spain. It’s fascinating to note that this prohibition was in effect until 2011, when the Royal Family officially abolished it.