Succession rules are to change while monarchs will be able to marry Catholics, reports MARK HENNESSY
PRINCE WILLIAM and the Duchess of Cambridge are still, perhaps, getting used to married life, but, already, decisions are being made to decide which of their offspring will succeed to the throne after their father.
Currently, male primogeniture rules. Younger brothers come ahead of older sisters, based on centuries of tortuous British common law, including the Union with Ireland Act of 1800 – all of which will now have to be amended following the decision by Commonwealth leaders in Perth, Australia yesterday to bring gender equality to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth is in favour, illustrated by the efforts made by her private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt over a number of years to spread the word that such a change would not only not be opposed, but would actively be supported by her if politicians would agree. The Swedes made the same change in 1979.
The issue has been looked at before. In 1964, home secretary Henry Brooke decided not to press it, believing that it would not be possible to win agreement from some of the other 16 realms where the queen is monarch.
Speaking in Perth on the opening day of the Commonwealth summit, prime minister David Cameron said: “Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen.
“The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic – this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become,” he added
Once changed, and this will take some years, succession will reflect the order of birth – placing Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, fourth-in-line to the throne, behind Prince Charles and his two sons, William and Harry.
Changes in London will have to be mirrored elsewhere, though Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard said her country – one where many are dubious about the queen being head of state at all – had no problems with the change.
However, the move towards equality goes only so far. In future, a British monarch will be able to marry a Catholic, but he, or she will not be able to be a Catholic themselves because the monarch is the head of the Anglican Church of England.
Defending this, prime minister Cameron said: “Let me be clear, the monarch must be in communion with the Church of England because he or she is the head of that church. But it is simply wrong they should be denied the chance to marry a Catholic if they wish to do so. After all, they are already quite free to marry someone of any other faith.” The ban on Catholics holding the throne dates back to the 1701 Act of Settlement when there were fears the Catholic Stuarts would return because William III was a childless widower in his 50s, in poor health. Having searched Europe, the crown passed to the legitimate heirs of the suitably Protestant, Princess Sophia of Hanover, though her son, George – who became George III and started the Age of the Hanoverians – could not even speak English.
For now, Catholic leaders in Britain seem satisfied. Archbishop of Westminster, Rev Vincent Nichols said the change would “eliminate a point of unjust discrimination against Catholics”.
Scottish primate Cardinal Keith O’Brien saw it as the start of wider reforms: “I am pleased to note that the process of change, which I hope will lead to repeal of the Act (of Settlement) has started.” First minister Alex Salmond, however, was disappointed: “It surely would have been possible to find a mechanism which would have protected the status of the Church of England without keeping in place an unjustifiable barrier on the grounds of religion in terms of the monarchy. It is a missed opportunity not to ensure equality of all faiths.”