While the world is eagerly looking forward to hearing the news of the stork visiting Prince William and Kate Middleton, most will be happy to know that in case the royal couple have a daughter first, she will still be crowned Queen of England, which was not the case earlier.
The UK Government is therefore, all set to table a bill in Parliament aiming to bring to a close the system of so-called “male preference primogeniture” in monarchy, under which a son even if younger will be the first in the line of succession bypassing any older sister/s. It may be noted that Queen Elizabeth herself became Monarch only because her uncle, Edward VIII, relinquished his right to the throne without any lawful male heirs.
By all accounts, the earliest beneficiary from this proposed amendment would be any daughter born first to William and Kate. The dramatic shake-up announced yesterday before MPs and peers will also bring to an end the ban on those in line to the British throne tying the knot with Roman Catholics. Also another outdated rule to be abolished is the one dictating that any descendants of King George II would require the Monarch’s consent before they can marry.
For long speculation has been rife on a future heir to the British throne. Prince William and Kate Middleton too have spoken of their desire to start a family. The moot question is when. While one section of royalist opines that possibly after the couple has completed all of their public engagements pertaining to the Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics, they'll be settling down and bringing into the world a new prince or princess.
