After The Netherlands, Sweden confirms same sex marriage is no hindrance to the throne

A Swedish monarch or heir to the throne can marry a person of the same sex and still retain their right to the throne.

A wedding of a Swedish prince or princess requires the government's consent to marry if they are to retain their place in the line of succession. According to a report in Aftonbladet newspaper, The Marshall of the Realm, Fredrik Wersäll, looked at the rules and confirmed that the government would not treat a same-sex marriage any differently and provide the consent at the request of the monarch. It means that a Swedish royal won't have to abdicate or lose their place in the line of succession in such situations.

Wersäll's statement comes just days after Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made a similar clarification. After a new book "Amalia, Duty Calls" questioned whether same-sex marriage would be allowed for the crown due to the need for an heir to the throne, Rutte said, "The cabinet does not see that an heir to the throne or the king should abdicate if he or she would like to marry a partner of the same sex."

However, neither the Dutch PM nor the Swedish Marshall could clarify how would the monarchy decide upon an heir in such cases, as the monarch can only be succeeded by a "lawful descendant." Rutte said that they will wait and "cross the bridge" when they come to it, noting that there have been precedents of family law changing in monarchy, the most recent being absolute primogeniture which allowed inheritance irrelevant of gender meaning females would not be pushed down the line of succession after the birth of a male sibling.

"It's just very dependent on the facts and circumstances of the specific case, as you can see by looking back at how family law can change over time," Rutte said.

In the Netherlands, the heir to the throne is 17-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia, eldest of the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. In Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria is the heir apparent, and will be succeeded by her eldest child, 9-year-old daughter Princess Estelle.