Historic Agreement Changes Centuries-Old Rules of Succession for British Monarchy

Teresa Neumann : Oct 31, 2011
Tim Shipman & Damien Gayle - The Daily Mail

Heirs to the throne will also now be able to marry Roman Catholics.

(United Kingdom)—In a stunning agreement, nations of the British Commonwealth have agreed to change centuries-old rules pertaining to the succession of the royal throne.

Most importantly, it means that the first-born, whether male or female, will inherit the crown. In the past, a woman could succeed the throne only if there were no male siblings, a tradition called "male primogeniture." (Photo by: David Parker)

Equally historic, is the change to the law that any possible heir to the throne cannot marry a Roman Catholic. It does not, notes a report in The Daily Mail, affect the position of the Anglican Church as the established Church. It assures that the Queen and future monarchs will be Anglicans.

Said Prime Minister David Cameron: "These rules are outdated and need to change. The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter, simply because he is a man just isn't acceptable anymore. Nor does it make sense that a potential monarch can marry someone of any faith other than Catholic. The thinking behind these rules is wrong. That's why people have been talking about changing them for some time. We need to get on and do it."

Great Britain is now in step with most other European monarchies who have established rules of equal royal succession.

To read more of the implications and consequences of these historic changes, and what they could mean, or could have meant if they were in place earlier, click on the link provided.