Power to the Princesses: Australia Wraps Up Succession Law Changes

Started by cinrit, March 26, 2015, 11:04:48 AM

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cinrit

QuoteA small blow was struck for women on Thursday. At 11am, laws came into effect across the Queen's Realms to change the rules of succession to the throne, with retrospective application back to 2011. Males are no longer favoured over females, so that an older sister will become sovereign ahead of her younger brother.

In a further blow to long-entrenched discrimination, a person will not lose his or her right to succession to the throne for marrying a Catholic.

This does not remove all discriminatory aspects of the rules of succession. Family and religion still play a critical role. A person can only be sovereign if he or she is a Protestant who is "in communion" with the Church of England, and can only inherit the throne if he or she is descended from Sophia, Electress of Hanover. That rules out most of us.

Most people probably thought that these changes were done and dusted after agreement was reached in Perth in 2011 to implement them. However, 16 realms have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. In addition to the United Kingdom, they include Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as a number of Caribbean and South Pacific countries.

More: Power to the princesses: Australia wraps up succession law changes

Cindy

Always be yourself.  Unless you can be a unicorn.  Then always be a unicorn.

TLLK

Finally the end of unreasonable discrimination based upon a spouse's faith IMHO.