One recent marriage in England caught my attention. It seems that one couple’s love experienced hardship, divorce, and has now reunited.
In 1949 James Morris married Elizabeth Tuckniss. Together they had five children.
Since an early age, Morris knew that he was something that he should not be, a male. In 1972 he underwent a sex change operation and became a female. The surgery was carried out in Morocco because the physicians in Britain would only complete the operation if Morris would divorce his wife. James was not ready for a divorce at the time but did indeed want the change of gender. After the operation, James then took on the identity of Jan Morris.
Later after James’s sex change from male to female, the couple divorced. Although their marriage could no longer stand with both being females, the two remained living together as a family with a civil union.
After living with one another for 58 years, married male and female then divorced both female, the couple decided to reunite in marriage.
Morris is now known to many as a writer. She has honorary doctorates and received the Glyndwr Award in 1996.
I found this story to be very touching. I know very few couples who could go through such trials and tribulations and come out together in the end.
The story is even more complicated with the occurrences happening years ago. Had this happened in today’s time, the events would have likely been much more acceptable.
This story also brought up another question in my mind. If a couple is married and united as man and woman in a state where same sex marriages are not allowed and one or the other has a sex change operation, is the marriage still valid? Are their laws to address such issues? Does the gender at the time of marriage constitute what is legal?
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