The last procedural formality in passing marriage equality legislation for England and Wales is now over. The Queen has nodded. It's official! Just don't plan on getting married anywhere near Big Ben for another year.
The equal marriage bill for England and Wales was today given Royal Assent, and is now officially law.
The Queen’s Royal Assent was granted to the bill on Wednesday at 15:06, turning it into the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, after clearing the final stage in Parliament yesterday, following two hours of debate, and the introduction of government amendments.
I don't know the exact details, but apparently it will take a year to go through all the laws and administrative codes and government programs for the British Isles and change them appropriately.
The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales will take place in summer 2014.
I have no idea why France could pull off same-sex marriages in one month after legislation passed without creating chaos within its government bureaucratic class, while it will take the United Kingdom a year. Maybe it's the quality of the food.
Next up is Scotland, which will be considering it's own marriage equality legislation. I've read that the Scottish government has been waiting on the British Parliament to do the deed, as it were, so perhaps the Scottish legislation will n ow move relatively quickly.