When Prince Harry and then-Meghan Markle became engaged, Boris Johnson’s sister wrote a really bonkers column about how Meghan’s “exotic DNA” was much-needed in the Windsor clan. While the language was crazy and racist, the sentiment was actually dead-on. The Windsors, like many European royal families, have a long history of marrying their cousins. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were related by blood – which is why Philip is often referenced as QEII’s “cousband” – and they reportedly met for the first time at some kind of family event. Well, at least one Tory politician wants to outlaw cousin-marriages.

Kemi Badenoch has suggested that she might outlaw marriage between cousins if she became prime minister. As part of a drive to improve social cohesion – which includes a potential ban on burkas and other face coverings – the Conservative leader warned on Sunday the practice, which is common in some British Pakistani communities, is ‘reinforcing separatism’.

Mrs Badenoch said it was part of a Tory Party ‘culture and integration’ review to draw up policies for the next General Election.

‘British culture and British values matter,’ she told Sky News. ‘We need social cohesion and integration. We can’t have people separating into their own communities. And we want to do a huge piece of work that will come up with the best policies that will ensure that we can bring people together.’

While it remains legal for people to marry their first cousin in the UK, the previously rare practice has become increasingly controversial because of its prevalence in some communities. In a number of inner-city wards in Bradford, almost half of mothers in the Pakistani community are married to first or second cousins. The practice is linked to serious health issues, including a higher risk of birth defects and genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

Tory MP Richard Holden, who introduced proposals to ban the practice in 2024, said there were good reasons for outlawing it on both health and social-cohesion grounds. He added: ‘There are real and serious health issues for the children of these marriages. But there are also big issues for society, because it is such a massive barrier to integration outside of family clans. For many decades this was not an issue, because hardly anyone did it. But the increasing prevalence means we do have to deal with it. I am glad to see Kemi taking it on because it shows the emphasis she is placing on the things that bind us together as a country.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I didn’t know that about the Pakistani community in the UK, but I do know it’s increasingly a huge issue in India and Indian diaspora communities. And obviously, it’s a huge issue in Europe’s royal families too, which is why many modern royal marriages were celebrated as being “good for the gene pool” because royals married outside of their immediate family/clan. I was going to get on my high horse about this, but I looked up the numbers here in America, and only about half of the states have outright banned cousin-marriages. Yikes.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.