Had enough of the Royal Wedding? Check out the history of an
alternative plan—elopement to the famous Gretna Green. Everyone
has heard of Gretna Green, Scotland’s most famous contribution
to wedding history. After the passage of The Marriage Act of
1753 (commonly known as Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act), enacted
to curtail the growing problem of clandestine marriages, eloping
couples came here to marry without the restrictions of English
law. In myriad examples, historical romances have glommed onto
this marital loophole, having some actual couples take off for
Gretna, while sometimes the villain attempts to lure the heroine
there (requiring a heroic rescue), or they just threaten to go
there if their parents don’t agree. For example, the would-be
runaways, Stacy Calverly and Fanny, discuss running away to
Gretna Green in Georgette Heyer's Black Sheep. More recently,
Eloisa James's impetuous heroine Imogen elopes to Gretna Green
after faking an injury to ensnare the object of her affections
in Much Ado About Y