Line of Succession to the British Throne

Line of succession to the British throne could be changed to make it fair to women and Roman Catholics. Downing Street (the home of the UK Prime Minister) has today confirmed that there are plans to discuss the changes to rule of succession with Buckingham Palace. At present, the succession to the British throne is regulated by the 1701 Act of Settlement and discriminates against women and Roman Catholics.

Women
A woman can only become Britain’s head of state if she has no brothers (like the present Queen) or after every other male option has been exhausted. The latter applies to the Queen’s second-born child, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal who has to take her place in the line of succession after her younger brothers Andrew, Duke of York and Edward, Earl of Wessex. If the Act was changed to give royal daughters equal rights, Princess Anne would become fourth in line, behind Prince Harry. Currently she comes after the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, and their children. Follow this link to find out more

A poll for the BBC today showed 89% of people in favour of women having an equal right to inherit the throne.

Roman Catholics
The Act of Settlement of 1701 states that only Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia – the Electress of Hanover and and granddaughter of King James I – are eligible to succeed. Roman Catholics or those married to Roman Catholics are automatically excluded.

A poll for the BBC today showed 81% of people in favour of the law being changed to allow the heir to the throne to marry a Catholic.

Changing the law of succession is not as easy as you think
In England, the monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the established church after Henry VIII broke from Rome in the 1530s. The monarch is also known as the “defender of the faith”, ironically a papal title awarded to Henry VIII shortly before his break with Rome.

Is it time for the monarch not to be Supreme Governor of the Church of England but instead to have a more neutral relationship with all faiths? Living in the 21st Century, we expect discrimination to be removed. Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, is known to be keen to modernise the monarchy and has spoken about being a “defender of faiths” rather than Supreme Governor of the Church of England and “defender of the faith”. So watch this space, it looks likely changes to the succession will mostly like happen.

Does Britain want to become a republic?
The BBC asked whether, after the end of the reign of the current Queen, Britain should continue with the monarchy, or become a republic. Of those questioned, 76% said they would want Britain to keep the monarchy, against 18 per cent who said they would favour a republic. Some 6% said they did not know.

Who will be the next UK Monarch?
A question we are often asked is who would be the new King or Queen if Prince Charles would not survive his mother. Many people think that the throne in that case would pass on to Prince Andrew. Not true, the next in line to the throne is Prince William.
Follow this link to find out more about the line of Succession

PM and Palace ‘discussed reform’ BBC News

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