Royal Succession Laws To Be Changed

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s son, or daughter, will be the next monarch of England. All commonwealth realms have agreed to change the royal succession laws to allow the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first born, whether a boy or girl, to be next in line to the throne.

According to the BBC, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will introduce the new succession laws to the Crown Bill in the House of Commons.

The new royal succession laws were informally agreed upon in October 2011, but, now that Kate Middleton is pregnant, there is a strict timeline to implement to the new rules. According to the BBC, the new legislation will stop giving males precedence over women in line to the throne. The new rules will also put an end to a ban that forbids anyone in the line of succession to marry a Roman Catholic.

Clegg said:

“People across the realms of the Commonwealth will be celebrating the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first child. We can also all celebrate that whether the baby is a boy or a girl, they will have an equal claim to the throne. (The new law will write down) what we agreed back in 2011 – that if the Duke and Duchess Cambridge have a baby girl, she can one day be our Queen even if she later has younger brothers.”

The new succession laws may seem like a simple change, but they will require lawmakers to make amendments to several important British documents. Britain’s Bill Of Rights, the Coronation Oath Act of 1688, and several other constitutional documents will have to be changed.

The Royal family made the announcement that Kate Middleton was pregnant on Monday after the Duchess was admitted to the hospital for morning sickness.

St James’s Palace spokesman said, “The Duchess of Cambridge is continuing to feel better. She and the Duke are immensely grateful for the good wishes they have received. She will remain in hospital at present.”