Legal Definitions - left-handed marriage

Definition: A type of marriage, also known as morganatic marriage, in which a person of higher social status marries someone of lower social status, and the spouse and their children have no claim to the higher status person's title or possessions.

Example: In royal families, a prince might enter into a left-handed marriage with a commoner, but their children would not be eligible for the throne or any royal titles.

Explanation: This type of marriage was historically used to maintain social hierarchies and prevent the dilution of noble bloodlines. The example illustrates how a left-handed marriage can create a legal distinction between the status of the spouses and their children.