![]() ![]() This meant it became rather hard to prove people were actually married, so in the 12th century it was declared a holy sacrament that must be observed by God.Īnd it wasn't just the marriage that had to be observed. They could do it in a matter of moments by uttering consent, which led to marriages in the street, down the pub or even in bed. For a start there wasn't a formal ceremony until much later and couples didn't need permission to marry. However, the marriage ceremony as we know it today was very different. ![]() In fact, men and women were judged as ready for marriage as soon as their bodies reached puberty, as young as 12 for girls and 14 for boys. And women, as in almost all aspects of medieval life, had no say. Much of what people assume about medieval upper-class marriage is true - it was rarely for love, but rather for political and social gain, according to Conor McCarthy's book "Marriage in Medieval England" (The Boydell Press, 2004).
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