Brown Discusses Royal Reform

Rules restricting the crowned head of the United Kingdom marrying a Roman Catholic could eventually be overturned, it was reported today.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also approached Buckingham Palace regarding a possible change to succession rights, which would give female royals equality with their male family members.

Under the Act of Settlement, any royal who marries a Roman Catholic must renounce their claim to the throne, including the Monarch.

The law dates back over 300 years, at a time when there was widespread hostility towards catholicism in England.

According to the act, no royal can be crowed king or queen if they "profess the popish religion or shall marry a papist".

Mr Brown said a change to law is needed but will prove complicated, as it must be approved by all Commonwealth countries, of which there are 53.

"In the 21st century, people do expect discrimination to be removed," he told the BBC.

Head of the English and Welsh catholic church, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, called for a change in the law, which he described as "anachronistic and discriminatory".

However, the cardinal insisted an amendment was not a top priority for the church.

The complex issue of succession could also be rearranged.

Currently a female heir is automatically pushed down the line upon the birth of a male sibling.

The most recent example occurred when the Earl of Wessex produced a son. Baby James, Viscount Severn, automatically jumped ahead of his elder sister Lady Louise, who was eighth in line to the throne.

If the succession rules were altered there would be a dramatic change in the current line to the throne.

Princess Anne, the Queen's only daughter, would move up from tenth in-line to fourth in-line, directly behind Prince Harry of Wales - a position currently held by the Duke of York, the princess's younger brother.

Anne's commoner children would then follow behind their mother, skipping ahead of their titled cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and James and Louise.

Despite a Private Members Motion being heard in Parliament today, government sources say a "slowly, very slowly" approach will be taken when dealing with the issues.

(PR/JM)