How Harry-Markle babies could become US president and UK throne successor

If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle produce an offspring, the child would not only be in line for the British throne but also the seat of the US president. This would apparently be how the British would recapture America. While this theory sounds interesting and possible, it is also unlikely.

Now that the British prince and the American actress/philanthropist are engaged, the public is expecting them to have children following their wedding in May. The couple currently has no plans to have children, preferring to take things “one step at a time” instead.

Nevertheless, if they had children, they might be onto something grand, like world domination. This is according to a theory likely posted as a joke by Twitchy.com editor Greg Pollowitz on Twitter.

“Prince Harry’s kids will be American. What if one grows up to be president and is in line for the throne at the same time? Brits are playing long-ball here, but it’s a smart move,” he wrote.

Pollowitz quipped that since Harry and Meghan’s children would likely be dual citizens of the US and the UK, they would be eligible for both the presidency and the crown. His tweet has delighted his followers, gathering a little over 470,000 likes and almost 135,000 retweets as of the time of writing.

The scenario would be an interesting take on what their babies could potentially become. However, it is also unlikely.

The US Constitution states that only a natural born citizen or a citizen of the US shall be eligible to become president. The person should also have been a resident of the country for 14 years.

In order to marry the fifth in line to the throne, Meghan must become a British citizen first. Meghan has already begun her move to Britain in preparation for her May wedding to Harry. The 36-year-old “Suits” star is expected to renounce her American citizenship and, if she becomes pregnant, give birth in the UK. Both of these would make their children non-US citizens.

Harry is also currently the fifth in line to the throne. He will be bumped to sixth when his sister-in-law, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, gives birth to her and Prince William’s third child next year. By the time Harry and Meghan’s probable children reach 35 years old, the age of eligibility to run for US presidency, it is highly possible that Prince George, Kate and William’s firstborn and the third in line to the throne, has had children of his own. That would bump Harry’s succession number even lower.

Harry and Meghan’s children becoming the president of the United States of America may be far-fetched and unlikely, but it could still be possible if Meghan wouldn’t give up her citizenship. According to Harvard Law Review (via the Mirror), the Constitution requires the president to be a “natural born citizen,” which means someone who was a US citizen at birth without going through naturalisation process at any time.

“The Supreme Court has long recognised that two particularly useful sources in understanding constitutional terms are British common law and enactments of the First Congress. Both confirm that the original meaning of the phrase ‘natural born Citizen’ includes persons born abroad who are citizens from birth based on the citizenship of a parent,” it reads.

And although Harry is too far from the succession line already, he is still in line to the throne, which means his children would be, too. Therefore, Pollowitz’s theory has some merit to it. Harry and Meghan’s children could both inherit the crown and be eligible as a US president.