Editing Child marriage (section)

===Politics and financial relationships===
[[File:Lodewijk XIV-Marriage.jpg|thumb|Child marriage in 1697 of [[Marie Adélaïde of Savoy]], age 12 to Louis, heir apparent of France age 15. The marriage created a political alliance.]]
Child marriages may depend upon socio-economic status. The aristocracy in some cultures, as in the European [[feudal]] era tended to use child marriage as a method to secure political ties. Families were able to cement political and/or financial ties by having their children marry.<ref>Shulamith Shaha (1983), ''The Fourth Estate: A History of Women in the Middle Ages'', {{ISBN|0-415-30851-8}}, Routledge, pages 131–149</ref> The betrothal is considered a binding contract between the families and the children. The breaking of a betrothal can have serious consequences both for the families and for the betrothed individuals themselves.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}