Heiress apparent? Possible changes in the laws of succession

     

BY CAROLINA PINHEIRO

If  Prince William and Kate Middleton first child is a girl, she might become heiress apparent and the Queen of the U.K in the future

     On 28 October 2011 some proposals were made to the 16 leaders of the Commonwealth countries in which Queen Elizabeth II is head of state. The changing of some points in the ancient laws of succession is the subject of the proposals. The changes proposed were: to replace the male-preference primogeniture for absolute primogeniture; change the law that excludes those who marry a Roman Catholic of the line of succession; and to give the limit the requirement for those in line to the throne to acquire permission of the sovereign to marry. But before understanding the importance of these changes, we have to understand how the succession to throne of the United Kingdom works.

               

     The order of succession is the order of how members of the Royal Family in the order in stand in line to the throne. The succession in the U.K works under male-preference primogeniture. So, the throne passes for the sovereign descendants, in order of birth. The male- preference means that, if a sovereign first child is female, the princess will only become queen if she does not have any brothers.  The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the eldest daughter of King George VI, who had no male descendants.

    

     The person who will become king or queen after the sovereign is called "heir apparent" if male, and "heiress presumptive" if female. When King George VI became king, Queen Elizabeth became heiress presumptive.  A princess in the U.K is considered heiress presumptive because this condition may change at any time, if a male descendant is born. The heir apparent position cannot be displaced, except with a change in the laws of succession.

    

     Until this moment, the Prince Charles, elder son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, is heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. In the U.K. the heir apparent receives the title of Prince of Wales.

    
To read more about the laws of succession and their history, click on this link!

    
     On 28 October 2011 a discussion on the proposal of changing the laws of succession started. The proposals were made by the present Prime Minister David Cameron. These changes will apply to the descendants of the present Prince of Wales. This means that, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge first-born child is a girl, she will become Queen of the U.K in the future, with no risks of losing her position to a younger brother. About the proposals the Queen said that “It encourages us to find ways to show girls and women to play their full part.”

    

     About the need of the members of the Royal Family to ask the sovereign permission to marry, it is expected that this requirement is limited to only a small number of the close relatives of the Sovereign.

     The present Prime Minister David Cameron stated: "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." When asked about the need of the monarch to Protestant, a law that will remain, 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.”

   

 The next step is to receive the approval from 14 of the 16 realms. The legislation are being analysed to see which parts of the legislation will have to be amended. After the legal process is complete we will know if the changes are official.