Recently, someone from the British royal family decided to propose to someone we didn't expect. The press said that they've seen it before - with King Edward and more recently Prince Harry.
They are examples of royals marrying people without British descent. With the British royal family's blood becoming more diluted, people are wondering if the crown may be in danger.
What We Do For Love
In 1936 Wallis Simpson was brought into the British royal family after King Edward VIII married her. Wallis was a foreign socialite that lived and grew up in America.
Following their marriage, the royals faced a crisis that they hoped they wouldn't have to ever deal with again. But after he left the throne a new line of Windsors took over.
The Start Of A Bloodline
Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth, and all the royals you know today came from the lineage of George VI who was King Edward's younger brother.
Since George VI was in power, it seems that royal marriages in recent times haven't gone as smoothly as the ones pre-Queen Elizabeth.
Drama From The Past
What may be one of the most well-known royal marriage controversies is the one between Princess Diana and Prince Harry. After what Prince Charles did, both the public and tabloids haven't forgotten.
The relationship that Prince Charles has had with Camilla Parker Bowles has been scrutinized since the '80s and '90s. People were just hoping that his children wouldn't have the same flair for drama as he did.
Runs In The Family
But as it seems his father did before him, Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle has been at the forefront of everyone's minds since they started dating.
After years of controversy, people finally got used to the idea of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle being together in the late 2010s. No more controversies regarding the British royal family, then the year 2020 rolled in.
Caught By Surprise
In January 2020, The Duchess and Duke made an announcement that reverberated around the world. They announced that they were stepping down from their roles as royal family members.
A lot of people and tabloids alike started pointing fingers at Markle, saying that she had convinced Prince Harry. But others came to defend Markle, saying that there was someone else to blame for the decision that they made.
Family Split
Some claim it was the fault of none other than Queen Elizabeth. But nobody knows for sure who started the falling out. One thing that is clear is that a lot of royal family members are feeling the repercussions.
With that in mind, would it be a good decision for the British royal family to have yet another foreign member come into the fold so soon after the last scandal? But whether or not it was that's what was decided.
Hanna Jaff
The newest person to be inducted into the British royal family is Hanna Jaff. Don't know the name? You may notice that you haven't seen her face on the front page of any newspapers and that's right.
In fact, you wouldn't think there's much of a stir since there haven't been too many eyes on her.
Not Your Typical American
Hanna Jaff has a few things going for her. She comes of Kurdish-Mexican descent and thinks of herself as a Mexican-American.
But while Meghan Markle may have been a successful actress before she was a Duchess. Hanna Jaff already has roots in royalty.
An Extensive Family Tree
Hanna comes from a great Kurdish king names Mohamed Pasha Jaff. He ruled as a supreme leader over the Jaff tribe. She's also a descendant of the people who won the North Bank of Iraq.
The North Bank of Iraq is one of the largest banks in the country and if you thought it ended there, you were mistaken. Carlos Henry Bosdet another predecessor and was the first to install a telephone in Mexico.
Finding Her Own Path
She doesn't only impress on the back of her predecessors. She's been involved in Mexican politics and has an extensive background in writing and speaking.
She's even started several charity foundations. With everything that she's done it's no wonder, she's a big name in Mexico.
Mexican Icon
In fact, Hanna was actually named one of Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women in Mexico 2019" alongside celebrities like Salma Hayek and was even ranked among the "10 most admired women in Mexico" by Cosmopolitan.
However, in just a few months, Hanna is set to receive another distinction: British royal.
Happy Harry
That's because since January 2020, Hanna has been engaged to a certain red-headed royal with marriage not too far on the horizon.
That's right — Hanna is set to marry Harry! But not the one you're thinking of.
A Familiar Story
Hanna is engaged to Henry "Harry" Roper-Curzon, heir to the baronage of Teynham and a relation of the Windsor princes.
Yet with the debacle of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to consider, how could yet another royal Harry have fallen for the charms of an American celebrity?
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
It all began back in the summer of 2019 when a mutual friend showed Harry a photo of Hanna.
The future 22nd Baron of Teynham wanted to meet her immediately, though, unfortunately, Hanna was still in Mexico at the time.
Love At First Sight
Several months passed before the two were finally able to get together at an art exhibition in England.
Sparks flew immediately, and just weeks later the couple announced they were officially in a relationship.
Whirlwind Romance
Things began moving quickly from there, with the two spending the Christmas holiday together in both Mexico and San Diego.
Then, while on a ski trip in the Swiss Alps in early January, Harry decided to pop the question.
Happily Ever After On Hold
The pair had initially planned to wed in July 2020, though in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, they pushed their nuptials to the fall.
"At the beginning I was quite sad," Hanna revealed, "but given the world is going through so much right now, there are bigger problems to worry about."
Growing Together, Apart
Yet the pandemic also served to test the strength of their relationship, as lockdown orders forced the couple to isolate an ocean apart.
But according to Hanna, she and Harry are now closer than ever before.
Putting Things In Perspective
"The distance really does make the heart grow fonder. You realize that you have to be thankful for what you have every day," she shared.
"This experience left us with a stronger relationship, communication skills and learned so much more about each other and ourselves."
A Sign of Things To Come?
While Hanna and Harry's relationship seems like a genuine case of true love, royal watchers are understandably anxious about the upcoming union and the potential future fallout for the royal family.
After all, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's courtship started off pretty innocently as well.
Those Lovely Beginnings
Most famous love stories have fairytale-like beginnings, but the story of Harry and Meghan actually began on a blind date.
In fact, Meghan knew very little about Harry and his royal bloodline.
"Well, Is He Nice?"
"I didn’t know much about him," Meghan told BBC, "so the only thing I asked… was, 'Well, is he nice?'" Harry was even more ill-prepared
He had never even heard of Meghan before that night. Talk about awkward!
Charity
But, as luck would have it, the pair hit it off, and just a few weeks later Harry invited Meghan to a charity trip to Africa.
"[It] was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to get to know each other," the prince recalled.
Quiet
The couple managed to keep their relationship under wraps for several months, but in late October 2016, news of the courtship broke.
Sources claimed that Harry had "been desperate to keep the relationship quiet."
Couple of Cuddling Bananas
Then Meghan posted a photo to Instagram that featured two bananas spooning on the day that the news of the relationship leaked.
Was this Meghan's coy way of confirming the rumor?
Game Plans
The tabloids were quick to eat up every last bit of juicy gossip. Sure, Meghan was used to the spotlight.
but the attention that came with being associated with the Royals proved to be an entirely different ballgame.
Misconceptions
"There was a misconception that this would be something I would be familiar with," the actress told BBC.
"But I’ve never been part of tabloid culture. I’ve lived a relatively quiet life."
...Is Enough
The press grew relentless when it came to getting the scoop on the newest royal relationship.
They went as far as harassing Meghan's mother to get the info they were after. Eventually, Harry had had enough.
Such a Storm
Through the Royal House, Harry issued a statement that called for an end to the harassment.
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety. It is not right that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm."