WUNRN
UK-COMMMONWEALTH - GIRLS EQUAL IN
THRONE SUCCESSION
If Prince William and Kate had
a daughter first, she would take precedence over younger brothers
28
October 2011 - Sons
and daughters of any future
The leaders of the 16 Commonwealth
countries where the Queen is head of state unanimously approved the changes at
a summit in
It means a first-born daughter of the
Duke and Duchess of
The ban on the monarch being married to a Roman Catholic was also lifted.
Under the old succession laws, dating back more than 300 years, the heir to the throne is the first-born son of the monarch. Only when there are no sons, as in the case of the Queen's father George VI, does the crown pass to the eldest daughter.
The succession changes will require a raft of historic legislation to be amended, including the 1701 Act of Settlement, the 1689 Bill of Rights and the Royal Marriages Act 1772.
The change to the Royal Marriages Act will end a position where every descendant of George II is legally required to seek the consent of the monarch before marrying.
In future, the requirement is expected to
be limited to a small number of the sovereign's close relatives.