Prince William and Kate Middleton's Firstborn Girl Now Entitled to British Throne
Brits Change Sexist Law
The leaders from 16 Commonwealth countries recognizing the Queen as their head of state have unanimously agreed that first-born daughters should be equally eligible for the throne.
Although the change in law is a revolutionary step towards women’s equality for the nations, it will not take effect until the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - Prince William and Kate as they’re more aptly called- have their first child.
The older, patriarchal rule stated that the first born son of the current monarch was the successor to the throne. Rarities like Queen Elizabeth II’s 59-year-long reign would only occur when the King has no sons.
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Hundreds of years of tradition and history isn’t easy to change.
In addition to approval by the 16 Commonwealth states, Britain’s Act of Settlement in 1701, Bill of Rights in 1689, and Royal Marriages Act of 1772 must now all be amended.
The amendment of those laws will also allow another important adjustment to British law: lifting of the ban on monarchs marrying Roman Catholics.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “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,” according to The Associated Press.
This isn’t the first time British constituents have tried to amend this law; at least 11 separate times, the discriminatory practice has been challenged, but to no avail.
The convoluted procedures required by the 16 Commonwealth nations to enact this law could be part of the reason this change has taken so long.
Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines and Papua New Guinea all had to individually start the legislation process for the laws to be changed.
British Labour Member of Parliament Keith Vaz stated, “As a society that values gender equality so highly, this is a long overdue change… We will now have modern laws that fit our modern monarchy,” says AP.
