Over the last 500 years, countless people in England and Wales have decided to tie the knot. But what motivated people in the past to get married? What inspired the traditional wedding vows? And when was the first divorce in Britain? Legal historian Rebecca Probert explores how ideas about marriage – and the laws around it – have changed in England and Wales over the last five centuries.

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Authors

Rachel Dinning, Premium Content Editor at HistoryExtra
Rachel DinningPremium Content Editor

Rachel Dinning is the Premium Content Editor at HistoryExtra, website of BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed.

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