MORGANATIC MARRIAGE (Goth. mor,qjan, to curtail, limit), sometimes called left handed marriage, a lower sort of matrimonial union, which, as a civil engagement, is completely binding, but fails to confer on the wife the title or fortune of her husband, and on the children the full status of legitimacy or right of succession. The members of the Getman princely houses have for centuries been in the practice of entering into mar riages of this kind with their inferiors in rank. Out of this usage has gradually sprung a code of matrimonial law, by which the union of princes with persons of lower rank, in other than morganatic form, involves serious consequences, especially towards the lady. The-pcnality of death was actually enforced in the case of tire beautiful and unfortunate Agnes Bernauer (q.v.). Iu the 16th and 17th centuries, a fashion began among German princes of taking a morganatic wife in addition to one who enjoyed the complete matri monial of Hesse'setting with a very qualified dis approbation on the part of the leading Reformers. An energetic attempt was made in the first half of the last c. by Anton Ulrich, duke of Saxe-Memingen, to upset the estab lished practice, and obtain for his morganatic wife the rank of duchess, and for her children the right of succession. In dtfertn.ce to the united opposition of the whole princedom of Germany, the emperor refused the duke's suit, declaring that there could be no marriage in princely families without " ebenbOrtigkeit," or equality of birth. In
the present c. morganatic marriages are by no means on the decline among the German reigning hOuses—one of the best known and most remarkable instances being the union of the late Archduke John, the " rcichsverweser " of 1848,with the daughter of the post master of Aussee, in Styria, afterwards created countess of Meran. Morganatic mar riages are recognized not only among the princely families, but among the higher aristoc racy of the empire; and in Prussia even the "niedere ad:I," or inferior gentry, may contract unions of this kind. A sort of left-handed or " hand-fasted " marriage was recognized in early times in the Highlands of Scotland, and Ireland: the hand-fasted bride could be put away, and a fresh union formed, with the full status of matrimony. Unlike the case of German morganatic marriages, the issue were often accounted legiti mate, even to the prejudice of the children of the more regular union that followed. The Royal Marriage act, 12 Geo. III. c. 11, reduces to a position somewhat like that of mor ganatic unions every marriage in the royal family of Great Britain not previously approved by the sovereign under the great seal, provided the prince entering into it is under 25, and every such marriage of a prince above 25 which is disapproved by parlia ment.