The Queen has stood up for sexual equality - but will political correctness jeopardise royal tradition?

At the end of last week, the Queen indicated her approval of plans to end the ages-old constitutional tradition of the first-born son succeeding to the British throne - a custom known as primogeniture.

But there has been opposition to what some see as centuries of tradition being swept away without full discussion.

The government has said it will bring in new laws which will allow the first born child to succeed, regardless of their sex. The Bill will involve consultation with 15 other Commonwealth countries that acknowledge the Queen as head of state.

Prince william - his children will be affected

The Junior Home Office Minister, Lord Williams of Mostyn, told the House of Lords that the Queen "had no objection to the government's view that in determining the line of succession to the throne, daughters and sons should be treated in the same way".

The novelist and former Tory Party Deputy Chairman, Lord Archer, asked the House: "Who among us would say, on balance, that our kings have been more impressive and have more impressive records than our queens?"

However, Baroness Blatch, speaking for the Conservatives - and the only woman among about 40 peers present - said she saw a need for a "much wider consensus across the political and social spectrum" for any change to the succession rules.

She criticised the "plethora of legislation which is dismantling centuries of tradition" and added: "Constitutional changes should not be made lightly. This should be the subject of wider, deeper, thoughtful and intellectual consideration."

Later, the Director of Burke's Peerage, Harold Brookes-Baker, speculated that the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, had been the catalyst for the planned change, along with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He added: "This is just one more step on the way to modernising the monarchy and bringing it from the 18th century into the 20th century."

Should sexual equality dethrone tradition?

Primogeniture was appropriate to the male-dominated society of the past...
Bernie Duggan, Sunny Devon, England

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