> An annulment has no effect on the legitimacy of the children, any more than a divorce does.
The difference is that divorce acknowledges there once was a marriage, while annulment says there never was a legitimate marriage. But as been mentioned, annulment affects only the sacramental aspect of marriage, FWIW.
The annulment declares that the necessary conditions precedent, so to speak, were not in place for a sacramental marriage. But as far as the civil authorities are concerned, that has no effect on whether a plain old garden variety marriage took place. So the children are legitimate regardless of the decision on the sacramental aspect of the marriage. ???