Britain | Royal succession

Equality and the monarchy

Proposed new rules would give daughters the same rights as sons

Darling, there’s a tiny little succession-reform bill on the way

IT IS doubtless a coincidence, but on October 12th, one month after the leak of a Downing Street memo fretting about David Cameron's need to reach out to women voters, the prime minister unveiled proposals to change royal succession laws so that a first-born daughter to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would accede to the throne ahead of any younger brothers. The announcement capped a stream of female-friendly policy announcements, including calls for more women on company boards and new guidelines to shield children from online pornography and sexual images in outdoor advertising near schools.

The idea of tweaking centuries-old royal succession rules has been raised by previous governments, but has always been shelved on grounds of complexity. Britain cannot change the rules alone, but must seek support from the 15 other realms of which Elizabeth II is queen.

Mr Cameron has now written to heads of government across the globe from Canada to Australia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, calling it an “anomaly” that, in an age of gender equality, the monarchy continues to enshrine male superiority. Britain is also minded to tear up a rule barring those who marry Roman Catholics from succeeding to the crown, Mr Cameron's letter states. He proposes that this change apply only to marriages enacted after a new law takes effect, presumably because a retroactive change could lead to a queue of pretenders outside Buckingham Palace. And a final clause would tidy up a rule under which all descendants of George II, an 18-century monarch, require royal permission to marry.

A change in the rules would not affect the Prince of Wales or his son Prince William, both of whom are first-born children. But the clock is ticking: for simplicity's sake, best to agree a change before Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, pictured, announce that they are expecting a child.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Equality and the monarchy"

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From the October 15th 2011 edition

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